Huma Qureshi's crime comedy thriller Baby Do Die Do got praise from critics and early viewers, but that did not translate to box office numbers in India. On the same day as Alia Bhatt’s YRF Spy Universe movie Alpha, the directorial of Nachiket Samant had a rough start and was able to earn only ₹40 lakh net from India on the first day. The film achieved a gross of ₹48 lakh after releasing in 778 shows across the country.
The gap between the two releases was stark. Alpha got a huge nationwide release with over 7,500 shows and opened to ₹9.25 crore net in India, whereas Baby Do Die Do was a smaller movie in terms of theatrical launch, and thus in reach of the audience as well. But industry observers point out that the movie’s performance is also indicative of the difficulty of drawing in a movie that’s up against a major franchise release.
Baby Do Die Do had an overall Hindi occupancy of around 13.6 percent on its opening day according to early occupancy data. Early morning shows had 5.15 percent occupancy, but gradually improved in the day. In the afternoon shows, 11.69 percent occupancy was expected, and evening shows 12.92 percent, and night shows had 19.62 percent occupancy, indicating some improvement in audience turnout as they played later on in the evening.
Nachiket Samant's Baby Do Die Do stars Huma Qureshi in the lead role alongside Sikander Kher, Chunky Panday, Vidya Malavade, Himanshu Malik, and Marudhar Shekhawat. Baby, a deaf-mute assassin, moves through Mumbai’s underworld in a dark comedy, crime, and thriller film.
While the film has not been a commercial hit, critics and viewers have appreciated Huma Qureshi’s performance. Early audiences on social media expressed their feeling that the film was bold, atmospheric, and unexpected, and many people think Huma’s character in the film is one of her most ambitious and unique so far in recent years.
Trade analysts believe that the limited release was a contributing factor to the film's poor opening. Baby Do Die Do had only 778 shows compared to Alpha’s huge release, so there was a lot of competition for screens and showtime to watch it. Therefore, many cinema chains assigned most of the premium slots of the Alia Bhatt action thriller to Huma Qureshi’s movie, so their audience was less attracted to it.
The coming weekend will be crucial for Baby Do Die Do. Positive word of mouth might help increase collections if audiences start to catch onto the movie even during its short run. But Alpha has taken over the multiplex screens and the audience’s attention, so the road ahead for Huma Qureshi’s new show remains rocky.
