Critical reception Raghu Bandi of
The Indian Express stated that "Looking at the slapstick comedy films Sai Rajesh did earlier, Baby is a shockingly deep and emotional writing that asks viewers many questions [...] This film will be as divisive as
Arjun Reddy. There will be lengthy discussions on the moral ambiguities, the characters and the ending. Talking about the commercial success of the film would be too soon, but this film is sure to be mentioned in the list of cult classics like
7/G Brindavan Colony,
Premiste,
RX 100 and
Arjun Reddy." Neeshita Nyayapati of
The Times of India wrote that "Baby might leave you with mixed feelings, but it's also the kind of film that'll incite conversations – for better or worse. And maybe that's the point of it all!" Tamma Moksha of
The Hindu wrote that "Eventually,
Baby runs like a moral story with the protagonist actually spelling out the moral three-fourths into the movie." B. V. S. Prakash of
Deccan Chronicle wrote that "[Sai Rajesh] takes the clichéd template of two heroes and one girl triangular romance and adds pubs, students and cuss words to give it a modern tweak. But the second half turns judgemental and defines how a woman should be, which is as old as hills and smacks of chauvinism. [Rajesh] wanted to engage the audience riding on confusions in youngsters in dealing with relationships, but falls flat barring some moments." Abhilasha Cherukuri of
Cinema Express wrote "For a film that deals with something so intimate and humble in scale — first love, growing up, infidelity, heartbreak and regrets — Director Sai Rajesh mounts it with an assured grandeur [...] What gives
Baby its edge is the way it presents two varying arguments about the film’s central love story at the same time." Ram Venkat Srikar of
Film Companion South wrote "Like with every film, your response to
Baby is going to be heavily dependent on your worldview and personal experience. With
Baby, these factors might matter a little bit more while evaluating it because such is the nature of the story. And that's exactly why
Baby earns the title of being the most interesting, ambiguous, and debatable Telugu film of the year so far." Latha Srinivasan of
India Today wrote "At 2 hours and 40 minutes, the film was way too long and should have been edited better. There are lags in the film and it tests your patience. But Vaishnavi's performance keeps you engaged even though the story is full of cliches." However,
The News Minute-based critic had summarized that, "At best,
Baby is a story of sugar-coated patriarchy and at worst, it is an ‘advisory’ against the havoc apparently wreaked when a woman aspires to live outside the boundaries drawn by those who dictate her life."
Box office Baby concluded its run with the worldwide gross estimated to be ₹80 crore. == Remake ==