Nivin Pauly’s thriller Baby Girl, directed by Arun Varma and written by Bobby-Sanjay, promised edge-of-the-seat thrills but succumbed to lazy writing and predictable storytelling. Now streaming on SonyLIV, the film’s inability to balance drama and suspense leaves viewers with a forgettable experience.

Baby Girl: Overview

Aspect	Details
Release Date	January 23, 2026
Director	Arun Varma
Writers	Bobby-Sanjay
Lead Cast	Nivin Pauly, Lijomol Jose, Sangeeth Prathap
Runtime	134 minutes
OTT Platform	SonyLIV
Genre	Thriller, Drama

The Plot & Its Problems

Baby Girl follows hospital attendant Sanal Mathew (Nivin Pauly) when a three-day-old baby disappears on his late shift. Police investigate while Sanal becomes both helper and suspect. The moral core explores who deserves motherhood—Ritu (Lijomol), facing her third stillbirth, or 19-year-old Meenakshi.

Despite promising thriller potential, weak writing sabotages execution.

Critical Failures

Lazy Writing: Bobby-Sanjay’s screenplay feels outdated despite their Traffic (2011) success. The thriller loses steam halfway, relying on convenient plot devices and excessive drama without emotional impact.

Predictable Second Half: After a decent first half building curiosity, the second half becomes painfully predictable with a flat climax offering zero emotional punch.

Nivin’s Wasted Role: Despite being the marketing face, Nivin’s character feels like an extended cameo—seemingly added as an afterthought to ease marketing. The role lacks nuance and could’ve been played by anyone with identical results.

Over-Structured: The film attempts excessive neatness, with distracting camera movements breaking thriller momentum rather than enhancing it.

What Works Minimally

Lijomol Jose and Sangeeth Prathap deliver strong performances. Faiz Siddik’s cinematography offers visual appeal, Sam C.S.’s background score works adequately, and the 134-minute runtime stays reasonable. The first half maintains decent pacing, getting straight into the story.

The Verdict

Pinkvilla called it “a snooze fest,” while Hollywood Reporter India noted “no room for nuance.” The motherhood dilemma deserved deeper exploration but gets lost in failed mechanics.

Bobby-Sanjay’s Traffic success set expectations Baby Girl couldn’t meet. Jumping straight into thriller mode to grab “Instagram reels-era audience” backfires. Malayalam cinema’s high thriller standards expose this film’s weaknesses.

Even after his ₹143 crore Sarvam Maya success, this represents a backward step for Nivin. With better writing, this could’ve been gripping. Instead, it’s forgettable.

FAQs

Q: Is Baby Girl worth watching on SonyLIV?

Only if you’re a die-hard Nivin Pauly fan or have exhausted other options. The weak writing and predictable second half make it a forgettable thriller despite decent performances from Lijomol Jose and Sangeeth Prathap.

Q: What is the main problem with Baby Girl’s storyline?

The film suffers from lazy, outdated writing that fails to maintain thriller momentum. After a decent first half, the predictable second half relies on convenient plot devices and excessive drama that creates no emotional impact.