Comparisons between Baby John and its original Tamil film, Theri, will be inevitable. Comparisons between Varun Dhawan and Thalapathy Vijay will be inevitable. Your opinions on my reviews of Pushpa 2 and Baby John will be inevitable. So let’s go through them one by one, starting with the latter. If you notice, the structure of Pushpa 2 and Baby John are equally scattered. It’s like a collection of action montages that would essentially formulate a reel (something that was also true with Theri before reel culture came into prominence). But the answer to why Pushpa 2 is a superior product lies in its title, and the reason why Baby John is an inferior product lies again in its title.
Baby John is not a Pushpa, so it lacks the latter’s unhinged swagger, while still trying hard to land those “massive” punches. He may seem like a shy version of Pushpa, who often mildly apologizes for her daughter’s actions, all because he doesn’t want trouble with his young family. And he sports a beard to indicate that he’s had a traumatic past, something that is unleashed in an extended flashback through the lens of Tara (his daughter’s teacher). This brings me to the two questions above… is VD better than Vijay? and how does Baby John compare to Theri?
Director: Kalees
Writers: Sumit Arora, Kalees
Stars: Wamiqa Gabbi, Salman Khan, Keerthy Suresh
I must admit that I did check out the Tamil film Theri days before Baby John was released, something that worried me. Even if I were to compare Theri to Jawan, one being Atlee’s previous work and the other his last, you would see a drastic change in his style of filmmaking. While Atlee retains his commercial vibes, there is definitely an improvement in his presentation. So, Theri has by no means aged well, and if the creative decision was to present Theri as she is in Baby John, then there was nothing to save the film.
As far as Baby John is concerned, there is one good news and one bad news compared to Theri: the good news is that Varun Dhawan’s presentation style is quite impressive, while leaving aside some outdated tropes of the original. The bad news is that it is still a scene-by-scene copy of Theri from its original storyboard (around 90% to 95% of the story is exactly the same), which somewhat dilutes the impact of the drama. And one thing to also keep in mind is that Varun Dhawan (VD) is not (yet) a Thalapathy Vijay, a major cog behind the success of the original film. If a supporting character walks away with thunderous applause from the audience on a witty one-liner (in which he does it perfectly), this, even if not a single line of VD is memorable, then it is a problem.
If you are still interested, the flashback parts of Baby John are exactly the same as those of Theri. You are (re)introduced to the protagonist, who poses as a school principal to beat up a bunch of goons who have vandalized a school. He further rescues a bunch of street kids from their evil master by beating him to a pulp, and finds the love of his life in the next scene. Through these lines, you realize that the drama lacks coherence, a similar problem with Pushpa 2 (where I say the penetration of movie culture). But individually, the tracks also work decently in Baby John, though I knew exactly what to expect.
What was depressing for me (like in Theri) was the romantic angle that didn’t find its roots in me. It was too frivolous for my taste, even when the drama was interrupted by the presence of songs that broke its rhythm in a major way. The idea of introducing the protagonist as a south superstar may seem like the flavor of the season, but the flavors still need to come together in the story. Also, the introduction of the antagonist is almost like giving him a montage – for example, a consolation mention in a cricket highlights package where a team losing the match by 9 wickets, is given one wicket to show against the opponent’s fours and sixes. It’s a cliché that never really delves into the character, as is the film’s shallow treatment.
The proceedings are decent, but nothing you wouldn’t have expected from this “tadka.” The beats of the drama would be predictable even if you’re not familiar with the source material. So some of the most heinous crimes are met with instant modes of justice, in what forms a cat-and-mouse game between protagonist and antagonist. Emotional connection is largely sidelined, while arrogance is given prominence – a creative decision that felt a little lighter than it should have been. The romantic angle remains a distraction, something that negates the possibility of a payoff at the end, in one of the film’s most disturbing scenes.
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