Atlee on releasing Varun Dhawan’s Baby John amid Pushpa 2 box office storm: ‘Don’t call it a clash’

Pushpa 2 has become the fastest Indian film to enter the Rs 1000 crore club and continues to shatter box office records. While many filmmakers might feel apprehensive about releasing their films amidst the juggernaut of Pushpa 2, Jawan director Atlee remains unfazed. During a recent interaction, Atlee addressed questions about a supposed clash between his upcoming film Baby John and Pushpa 2. The filmmaker dismissed any notion of rivalry, emphasizing the camaraderie between him and Allu Arjun. He even shared how the Pushpa actor personally congratulated him and Baby John’s lead actor, Varun Dhawan, on the film.

Speaking at a recent press meet in Mumbai, Atlee clarified, “It’s an ecosystem. Me and Allu Arjun sir are very good friends. We’re releasing Baby John in the fourth week of December, not head-to-head. So don’t call it a clash. There’s no conflict here. We’re aware that Pushpa 2 shifted from August to December, and we’ve planned our release around Christmas. We’re all professionals, and we know how to handle this.”

Atlee also revealed that Allu Arjun personally reached out to him and Varun Dhawan to extend his best wishes for Baby John. “He congratulated me about the film and spoke to Varun. There’s great friendship and love in this ecosystem,” Atlee shared.

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Pushpa 2, directed by Sukumar, is on the verge of crossing the Rs 1000 crore nett mark in India and Rs 1600 crore globally. The film stars Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles and serves as a sequel to the 2021 blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise.

Meanwhile, Baby John is an adaptation of Atlee’s Tamil hit Theri. Directed by Kalees, the film also stars Keerthy Suresh (making her Hindi debut), Wamiqa Gabbi, Zara Zyanna, and Jackie Shroff in pivotal roles. Recently, Atlee also hinted at an upcoming project with Salman Khan.