Nivin Pauly returned to the big screen on Friday (January 23) with the release of his latest Malayalam thriller, Baby Girl. Directed by Arun Varma, the film arrived in theatres with moderate expectations and curiosity among audiences. However, early box office trends suggest that the film has had a subdued start on its opening day.
Baby Girl box office collection day-wise
While Baby Girl generated some buzz ahead of release, especially following Nivin Pauly’s recent success with Sarvam Maya, the initial footfall did not translate into a strong opening. According to early estimates shared by trade tracking website Sacnilk, the film earned approximately Rs 75 lakh net in India on Day 1, falling short of the Rs 1 crore mark.
The slow opening is also shown in the film’s occupancy figures. On its first day, Baby Girl recorded an overall Malayalam occupancy of 21.47 per cent. Morning shows began on a modest note, registering around 19.70 per cent occupancy. Footfalls dipped further during the afternoon shows, which saw only 14.44 per cent occupancy across theatres.
There was a slight recovery as the day progressed. Evening shows showed some improvement, with occupancy climbing to 18.90 per cent. The best performance came during the night shows, which recorded 32.84 per cent occupancy, suggesting that late-evening audiences responded better to the film’s thriller appeal. Trade observers believe word of mouth over the weekend will be crucial in determining whether the film can gain momentum in the coming days.
More about Baby Girl
Directed by Arun Varma, who previously earned praise for Garudan, Baby Girl features an ensemble cast that includes Lijomol Jose, Abhimanyu Thilakan and Sangeeth Pratap in pivotal roles. The film is positioned as a mystery thriller with a strong psychological core rather than a mass entertainer, which may have contributed to its slower opening.
Baby Girl revolves around the character of Sanal Mathew, played by Nivin Pauly, a medical attendant working in a hospital. His life takes a dramatic turn when a newborn baby goes missing from the hospital premises. As suspicion begins to mount around him, Sanal finds himself under intense scrutiny from the police and those around him.
The film explores themes of trust, perception and moral ambiguity, keeping the central mystery intact for much of its runtime. Audience response so far has been cautious, with viewers reserving judgment as the story unfolds.
On the professional front, Baby Girl marks Nivin Pauly’s next theatrical release after the success of Sarvam Maya, a feel-good horror comedy directed by Akhil Sathyan. That film went on to become a major box office success and received positive audience feedback. Sarvam Maya, which also starred Riya Shibu, Aju Varghese and Preity Mukundhan, is scheduled to begin streaming on JioHotstar from January 30, 2026.
Baby Girl box office collection day-wise
While Baby Girl generated some buzz ahead of release, especially following Nivin Pauly’s recent success with Sarvam Maya, the initial footfall did not translate into a strong opening. According to early estimates shared by trade tracking website Sacnilk, the film earned approximately Rs 75 lakh net in India on Day 1, falling short of the Rs 1 crore mark.The slow opening is also shown in the film’s occupancy figures. On its first day, Baby Girl recorded an overall Malayalam occupancy of 21.47 per cent. Morning shows began on a modest note, registering around 19.70 per cent occupancy. Footfalls dipped further during the afternoon shows, which saw only 14.44 per cent occupancy across theatres.
There was a slight recovery as the day progressed. Evening shows showed some improvement, with occupancy climbing to 18.90 per cent. The best performance came during the night shows, which recorded 32.84 per cent occupancy, suggesting that late-evening audiences responded better to the film’s thriller appeal. Trade observers believe word of mouth over the weekend will be crucial in determining whether the film can gain momentum in the coming days.
More about Baby Girl
Directed by Arun Varma, who previously earned praise for Garudan, Baby Girl features an ensemble cast that includes Lijomol Jose, Abhimanyu Thilakan and Sangeeth Pratap in pivotal roles. The film is positioned as a mystery thriller with a strong psychological core rather than a mass entertainer, which may have contributed to its slower opening.Baby Girl revolves around the character of Sanal Mathew, played by Nivin Pauly, a medical attendant working in a hospital. His life takes a dramatic turn when a newborn baby goes missing from the hospital premises. As suspicion begins to mount around him, Sanal finds himself under intense scrutiny from the police and those around him.
The film explores themes of trust, perception and moral ambiguity, keeping the central mystery intact for much of its runtime. Audience response so far has been cautious, with viewers reserving judgment as the story unfolds.
On the professional front, Baby Girl marks Nivin Pauly’s next theatrical release after the success of Sarvam Maya, a feel-good horror comedy directed by Akhil Sathyan. That film went on to become a major box office success and received positive audience feedback. Sarvam Maya, which also starred Riya Shibu, Aju Varghese and Preity Mukundhan, is scheduled to begin streaming on JioHotstar from January 30, 2026.
