Baby John (2024) may share its core premise with Theri, but it takes a darker, more intense approach to storytelling. While both films follow a father on a path of vengeance, Baby John heightens the brutality, delivering more gripping action sequences and deeper emotional stakes. The film also broadens its scope, introducing a larger interconnected universe, including Salman Khan’s Agent Bhai Jaan. With stronger female leads, a more formidable antagonist, and a mid-credits tease hinting at future installments, Baby John carves out its own identity. But before diving into that, let’s first understand what happens to Satya, and what pushes him to become Baby John.
Spoilers Ahead
Baby John (2024) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis:
How does Adhira Learn About John’s Past?
John D’Silva, a bakery owner in Kerala, hides a violent past. One night, a sex-trafficking gang storms his house, attempting to kill his daughter, Khushi. To protect her, John is forced to reveal his true self, ruthlessly taking down the attackers. Tara, Khushi’s teacher, arrives at the scene and witnesses his brutal combat skills. Tara soon discovers that John is actually Satya Verma, a former high-ranking police officer. However, Tara herself is not who she seems. Jackie, John’s best friend, recognizes her real identity, Adhira Verman, a covert officer. As the dust settles, Jackie, whose real name is HC Ram Sevak, begins explaining John’s past to Adhira. He reveals the hidden chapters of John’s life, detailing his former role as a fearless officer. Through Jackie’s words, Adhira finally understands the truth about John’s violent yet noble past.
What Happened to John in the Past?
Satya Verma, a fearless DCP, investigates the disappearance of a young girl named Amba. His findings uncover a horrifying truth, Amba was brutally assaulted and burned to death by Ashwin, the son of powerful politician Babbar Sher. When the legal system fails to bring Ashwin to justice, Satya takes matters into his own hands. He mercilessly kills Ashwin and confronts Babbar Sher, setting off a chain of events that change his life forever.
During this turbulent time, Satya meets Meera, a doctor from Chennai. Their love blossoms, providing him with a sense of normalcy beyond his life as a relentless enforcer of the law. However, Babbar Sher’s wrath looms over them. When Satya attempts to meet Meera’s family, goons attack him under Babbar Sher’s orders. Satya triumphs over them and arrests Babbar Sher at his son’s funeral, proving that no one is above justice. Meera, fearing for their future, urges Satya to leave the police force. Though he convinces her to let him stay, their love triumphs, and they marry, welcoming their daughter, Khushi. For a time, Satya experiences true happiness, believing he can balance his duty and his family.
On Khushi’s birthday, the past comes back with vengeance. Babbar Sher, along with Bhima and corrupt Inspector Baldev Patil, storms Satya’s home. The attack is ruthless—Meera and Satya’s mother, Madhvi, are murdered. Khushi is nearly drowned, but a dying Meera saves her. In her final moments, Meera makes Satya promise to leave his violent past behind and protect Khushi at all costs. Devastated yet bound by her promise, Satya fakes his death and disappears. He becomes John D’Silva, a simple bakery owner in Kerala, raising Khushi away from the world of violence. The vow he made to Meera is not just about survival; it is about redemption. He chooses a life where Khushi will never have to witness the horrors he endured. John D’Silva is not just a disguise; it is his way of honoring Meera’s final wish.
How does Satya Save all the Women?
Satya Verma, living as John D’Silva, has kept his past buried for years. However, a chance encounter with goons from Nanaji’s flesh trade exposes his identity. Nanaji, the ruthless mastermind, seizes the opportunity to strike back. He abducts Khushi, Tara, and several other women, forcing Satya into action.
Satya knows he cannot fight Nanaji directly, not yet. To instill fear in his enemies, he spreads the rumor that Satya’s ghost is delivering vengeance. Operating under the alias Baby John, he begins dismantling Nanaji’s network, ensuring that every key player suffers. His first victim is Samba, who oversees Nanaji’s operations in Kerala. Then, he takes down Inspector Baldev Patil, the corrupt officer who enables Nanaji’s crimes by obstructing investigations. Satya methodically attacks every stronghold, weakening Nanaji’s influence.
As Satya closes in, Nanaji sets a trap. He sends Bhima Rane to a construction site, knowing Satya will come for him. While Satya is occupied, Nanaji seizes the moment to abduct Khushi, Tara, and Ram Sevak. By the time Satya realizes the deception, it’s too late. Nanaji, with the help of DGP Yashraj Mukherjee, has already hidden Khushi and Tara inside a shipping container full of captive women. Their destination: a foreign land, where they will be sold into slavery.
Satya confronts Nanaji, pleading for his daughter’s life. Nanaji, however, takes pleasure in his suffering, beating Satya mercilessly until he loses consciousness. Meanwhile, inside the container, Khushi refuses to give up. She rallies the kidnapped women, urging them to destabilize the container in the hopes of making enough noise to alert Satya. As Satya lies beaten, he has a vision of Meera. Her presence reignites his spirit, reminding him of his vow to protect Khushi at all costs. With newfound determination, he rises. Satya unleashes his full fury, taking down Nanaji and his army of goons in a brutal showdown.
With Nanaji defeated, Satya locates the container and breaks it open, rescuing Khushi and all the women. His mission is not just about vengeance, it is about justice. He refuses to let innocent lives suffer the way Meera did. By destroying Nanaji’s empire, Satya ensures that no more women fall victim to the horrors of human trafficking. Satya Verma may have lived as John D’Silva, but in the end, he reclaims his true identity, not as a ghost, but as a savior.
Baby John (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Is Babbar Sher Dead or Alive?
Instead of delivering a definitive death scene for the villains, director Kalees chooses to let the audience imagine what happens when the trafficked girls are unleashed on him. This creative choice sparks speculation: did the girls truly kill him, or was it just a form of psychological torture? Given Nanaji’s frail physical state, it seems plausible that he wouldn’t survive an attack from multiple enraged victims.
His line, “Kill me, or I’ll keep coming after your family,” suggests he was prepared to die, and Satya’s decision to leave him at the mercy of those he wronged could be interpreted as a death sentence. The film’s themes of poetic justice align with this outcome, Nanaji suffering a fate worse than death. However, doubts remain. The film has repeatedly shown Nanaji as a ruthless and formidable force despite his age. If he could orchestrate such horrors, why assume a group of unarmed girls could overpower him?
The film’s reluctance to confirm his death outright leaves room for the possibility that he survives and could return, making Satya’s decision questionable. Since there’s no explicit confirmation of Nanaji’s demise, the safest conclusion is that he might still be alive. The film plays with uncertainty, forcing viewers to decide for themselves whether justice was truly served.
What Will Be Agent Bhai Jaan’s Role in Baby John’s Universe?
Agent Bhai Jaan, played by Salman Khan, is introduced as a key member of the Ghost Gang. His entrance during the mid-credits scene signals his role as a brutal enforcer, eliminating high-profile members of the international trafficking network. His presence suggests he is more than just a supporting character. The explosive ending leaves Bhai Jaan’s fate unclear. If he survives, he could lead the fight against the remaining branches of the trafficking syndicate. However, the scene is deliberately vague, offering no concrete setup for the next film.
This raises speculation: will “Baby John 2” focus on him, or will Agent Bhai Jaan be a standalone project? Until an official announcement, Bhai Jaan’s role remains uncertain. He could be the next protagonist or just a one-time cameo. Either way, his presence expands the Baby John universe into something bigger.
How is ‘Baby John’ different from ‘Theri’?
Both “Theri” and “Baby John” revolve around a father avenging his daughter’s assault, but “Baby John” takes a much darker approach. In “Theri,” Vijay’s revenge is intense but somewhat restrained. In “Baby John,” Satya goes further by burning Ashwin and his friends alive while ensuring their faces remain recognizable. The sheer brutality adds to the emotional weight, making the revenge more personal and unsettling.
Amy Jackson’s Annie in “Theri” was a schoolteacher and Vijay’s love interest, playing a passive role in the main conflict. In contrast, Wamiqa Gabbi’s Tara in “Baby John” is an undercover agent actively working against the trafficking network. She plays a crucial role in tracking Nanaji and setting up his downfall. Unlike Annie, Tara doesn’t just support the hero, she fights alongside him, making her character more integral to the plot.
Jackie Shroff’s Babbar Sher (“Baby John”) is far more menacing than Vanamaamalai (“Theri”). While Vanamaamalai’s rage stems from personal revenge, Babbar Sher operates a massive trafficking syndicate, making him a global threat. He also physically dominates Satya, kidnapping his daughter and lover while brutally beating him. Unlike “Theri,” where the villain’s fate is clear, Baby John leaves Babbar Sher’s death uncertain, opening doors for his possible return.
“Theri” ends with Vijay starting a new life at the Indo-China border, hinting at a sequel but keeping things self-contained. “Baby John,” however, actively sets up a larger cop universe. Satya’s betrayal by his senior officer, his survival, and Salman Khan’s cameo as Agent Bhai Jaan all point toward an interconnected franchise. The mid-credits scene, where the international trafficking mafia kidnaps Satya and Tara, teases a much bigger story to come.
While “Theri” is a personal revenge drama with emotional beats, “Baby John” amplifies the intensity with more brutality, a stronger female lead, a more dangerous antagonist, and a clear setup for future films. It doesn’t just retell “Theri,” it expands it into something larger, paving the way for an entire cinematic universe.
