Oh Baby… Try To Bounce Back!

Two years ago, before the release of Baby, Vaishnavi Chaitanya was hardly a familiar name to the general audience. Though she appeared as Allu Arjun’s sister in the blockbuster Ala Vaikunthapurramloo, the role didn’t bring her much recognition. But everything changed with Baby. The film was an unexpected blockbuster and came close to hitting ₹100 crores at the box office — a feat that stunned the trade circles.

More than box office glory, it was Vaishnavi’s performance that drew widespread attention. She delivered a nuanced portrayal of a girl caught between two lovers, and many felt that no one else could’ve done justice to that complex role the way she did.

However, when it comes to her recent career choices, Vaishnavi seems to be struggling to maintain that image. Hoping to ride on the success of Baby, she signed Love Me – If You Dare under Dil Raju’s banner — perhaps trusting the banner more than the script. Unfortunately, the film turned out to be a disaster.

Next came Jack, opposite Siddhu Jonnalagadda, produced by the big league banner SVCC and directed by Bommarillu Bhaskar. It looked promising on paper, with Vaishnavi playing a “lady detective” — something that sounded refreshing. But when it came to the screen, the role failed to impress and the film didn’t click with audiences either.

While these flops might not be entirely her fault, it’s clear that moving forward, she needs to be more selective — especially focusing on strong scripts rather than big combinations or banners. She’s currently working on a new film under Sitara Entertainments with Anand Deverakonda, directed by Aditya Hasan of 90s Middle Class Biopic fame. During the pre-release event of Jack, the producer even hinted that her character in the upcoming film has shades of grey.

Since Baby’s lead pair is reuniting, expectations are naturally high. Whether this project can give Vaishnavi the long-awaited second break — only time will tell.