Baabul (2006 film)

Baabul (transl. Father's affection to daughter) is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Ravi Chopra and produced by B. R. Chopra. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Salman Khan, Rani Mukerji, John Abraham, and Om Puri. The film explores the themes of love, loss, and societal resistance to widow remarriage, centering on a father's efforts to rebuild his widowed daughter-in-law’s life by encouraging her to find love again.

The film marked the 50th anniversary of B. R. Chopra’s contribution to Indian cinema. Principal photography took place across Mumbai and London. The film's music was composed by Aadesh Shrivastava, with lyrics written by Sameer.

Baabul was released theatrically on 8 December 2006. It received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its performances and emotional core, but criticism for its melodramatic tone and conventional storytelling. Despite a high-profile ensemble cast and significant pre-release publicity, the film underperformed at the box office, grossing approximately ₹27.75 crore (US$6.2 million) worldwide against a reported budget of ₹21 crore (US$4.7 million).