Will Varun Dhawan’s Baby John just be Vijay’s Theri on steroids, or is there more to it?

With just a day left for the release of Baby John, here's quick look at what worked in its Tamil original, Theri, what needs to work in the Varun Dhawan film, and a lot more

Varun Dhawan’s big Christmas release, Baby John, is the official remake, or adaptation, of Vijay’s Theri (2016). The Tamil action blockbuster is special for a lot of reasons, but mainly because it united Vijay with director Atlee, and this combination went on to make films like Mersal and Bigil, which elevated the actor’s superstardom to astronomical levels, and established the filmmaker as a man with the golden touch. Such has been the impact of these three films in Atlee’s career that he went on to direct Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan, one of the biggest hits of Indian cinema, and is next in line to direct Salman Khan. Theri was also the last time Vijay donned the khaki on the big screen. 

Coming back to Baby John, the film, presented by Atlee, and directed by Kalees, marks the first time Varun is playing a cop. In fact, playing a police officer and convincing the audience of the authenticity of the khaki, is a rite of passage for any actor trying to step into their next level of stardom. Right from Amitabh Bachchan to Ranveer Singh, a success while playing a cop changes the way the audience and the industry perceives an actor. Now, it is the time of Varun to steady the ship, and make a safe voyage into the next level. 

So, let’s look at what made Theri a success, what to expect from Baby John, and how it is the connections between characters that truly symbolises the efficacy of remakes

Theri was an interesting Vijay film because it didn’t have the usual Vijay introduction scene. It wasn’t explosive. It wasn’t about flamboyance. It was about a father and his daughter. And that was the soul of Theri. On that front, Baby John seems to have got it right, especially since the title is inspired by how Varun’s character is called by his daughter. And the song picturised on John and Khushi seems to have struck a chord already. The duo seem to be getting a lot of love during the promotions too.  

Connection between husband and wife

Theri continues to hold a fond place in people’s hearts because it featured a rather poignant love story between Vijay and Samantha. Starting off with the usual meet-cute, transitioning into an action-packed meet-cute a bit later, they finally find themselves in a happily-ever-after kind of scenario. However, it is this connection that also tests the protagonist’s love for the khaki. 

So, it is important Baby John gets this part right because it is the bedrock of whatever made DCP Satya Verma as John. With Keerthy Suresh making her Hindi cinema debut with the film, it is interesting because her pairing with Varun will be fresh. But it will also require the writing and performances to be on point because the pairing is fresh, and the Hindi audience has to buy into the premise. In Tamil, it was the repeat casting of the successful pair in Kaththi, so there was a sense of comfort in seeing them together. Now, it is a fine balancing act that is required, and hopefully, Baby John has got it in the bag. 

Also, on a side note, Wamiqa Gabbi’s character seems to have undergone changes from the role Amy Jackson played in Theri, and all we can say is… remakes can also exist to improve on the original. 

Connection between top cop and junior cop 

Connection between top cop and junior cop 

Although Theri/Baby John is essentially a revenge saga, the inciting incident is a sexual assault case that brings all the players together. It is this case that brings out a different facet of the protagonist. It speaks of a very important aspect of a civilised society. But in the undercurrent of this whole sequence, there is a strong emotion that is truly embodied through the performance of a supporting character, who is the driver of this top cop. 

In Theri, it was played by Rajendran, who is often seen in comic roles, but doesn’t often get a chance to showcase his histrionics. In fact, he is seen throughout the film as the perfect comic relief in the double life of the protagonist. But then, there is an outburst scene that holds the film together, because he plays the voice of the audience. The outlet of a collective outburst. While Rajendran did get the job done, the writing did most of the heavy lifting. 

Baby John has Rajpal Yadav in that role. Now, that’s a casting masterstroke. He will take care of everything. Hopefully.

Connection between hero and villain 

Team Baby John promised that the film is not a frame-to-frame remake of Theri, but has been adapted to incorporate a lot of other factors. Now, even if one doesn’t buy into this promise, looking at Jackie Shroff’s character should have allayed any such doubts.

In Theri, the primary antagonist is played by veteran filmmaker-turned-actor Mahendran, whose voice and demeanour was of a soft-spoken septuagenarian. He was a bad father. He was a bad person. He was a terrific villain. But you never thought he could do something ghastly because he was a soft-spoken septuagenarian. 

In Baby John, we have Jackie Shroff kicking people in a prison, shattering mirrors, and looking menacing. Would he be capable of wreaking havoc in a superstar cop’s life? Most definitely

Cop drama. Revenge saga. Masala cinema. Theri had everything, and Baby John is just going to be more of this everything. 

If Atlee can now boast of being the only filmmaker to have helmed a film with both Vijay, Shah Rukh Khan, and soon enough, Salman Khan, the seeds of this confidence in his ability to make a quintessential masala film for the ages was sown in Theri. He has grown from strength to strength, and he is now in a place where he can get his next film’s hero to play a cameo in his first production in Hindi. 

So, it is clear that, purely on scale, Baby John is going to be a Theri on steroids. It is going to have more explosive action. It is going to have more flamboyant set-pieces. It is going to have a Salman Khan cameo that, for the life of me, I can’t figure out how he is going to fit into the story. 

Well, in many ways, Baby John could be Varun Dhawan’s Wanted or Simbaa, and all we can say right now is… ‘Baby John, summa Therikka vidunga’ (Baby John, let the sparks fly).

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