Has Salman Khan & Atlee's Film Been Affected by 'Baby John' Curse?

By Sharad Rai

Salman Khan & Atlee's Film: Salman Khan is set to collaborate with South Indian director Atlee for a special film, which initially sparked a lot of excitement among his fans. Rumors even suggested that superstar Rajinikanth might join the project, or that Kamal Haasan could make an appearance. But now, the buzz surrounding this film seems to have taken an unexpected turn. New, confusing reports claim that the film has been shelved. What was once a highly anticipated project is now facing the possibility of being canceled before it even began.

Atlee & Salman Khan to Team Up After Jawan’s Success?

2023's biggest hit was 'Jawan'. The film was a hit, despite its lack of logical structure, thanks to its mass appeal and unique concept of solving societal problems. The film made over ₹1000 crore, cementing its place as one of the highest-grossing films of the year. Shah Rukh Khan earned big, and director Atlee gained immense recognition. Atlee’s demand skyrocketed, and he soon planned a project with none other than Salman Khan. Salman, too, after the mixed box-office reception of 'Tiger 3', was in need of a hit director. Atlee seemed to be the perfect choice after his success with Shah Rukh Khan. So, the idea of these two big screen stars collaborating became a talking point.

Then, in 2024, Atlee was ready to release his film "Baby John" starring Varun Dhawan. This film was a home-production by Atlee and his wife, actress Krishna Priya. It was a Hindi adaptation of Atlee’s own Tamil film "Theri". Salman Khan had made a cameo in this movie. With Jawan's success still fresh, Atlee started promoting Baby John heavily, talking about his next big film with Salman Khan. The film, reportedly about a reincarnated warrior, seemed like a unique subject, and Salman Khan was excited to be a part of it.

After Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan is the next name that comes to mind in Bollywood. But amidst all this, the rise of South Indian superstar Allu Arjun, especially with the massive success of Pushpa 2 (which crossed  1400 crore), brought a new level of excitement. Allu Arjun's victory seemed to have caught Atlee's attention, and soon, rumors began circulating that Atlee and Allu Arjun were working on a new project together.

Meanwhile, Baby John was struggling at the box office, and reports about its steadily declining collections began to surface. These growing doubts about the film's performance seemed to be affecting Salman Khan's enthusiasm for his film with Atlee. Baby John, a remake of Atlee’s Tamil film, wasn’t performing as expected. And now, with Atlee and Allu Arjun reportedly working together on a new project, there's speculation that the film Salman Khan and Atlee were supposed to make has somehow fallen victim to the “Baby John” curse.