Saqib Saleem’s ‘Alpha Q’ was our ‘Bhaag D.K. Bose’, says Baby Do Die director Nachiket Samant

Riding on strong word-of-mouth, Baby Do Die has emerged as one of the week’s most talked-about releases. Led by Huma Qureshi as Baby Karmarkar, a deaf-mute contract killer navigating Mumbai’s underworld, the action thriller has been praised for its quirky blend of crime, dark humour and stylised action, with many calling it a refreshing addition to the expansive genre. Produced under the banner Saleem Siblings by Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem, the film has also generated buzz for its unconventional music, marketing choices and quirky promotional campaign.

Director Nachiket Samant has compared the raved-about track Alpha Q, the promotional song featuring Baby Do Die co-producer Saqib Saleem, to the cult hit Bhaag D.K. Bose from Delhi Belly, saying both songs were designed to spark conversations and draw audiences to the film.

Speaking to a publication, Samant revealed that Saqib, who makes a special appearance in the dance number, is “the item” in the song. “We were attempting to grab attention, like the Bhaag D.K. Bose track, that had gone viral and helped the film, Delhi Belly, immensely,” he said.

While Saqib has backed the film as a producer, his spirited cameo in Alpha Q has also become one of its talking points. Dancing shirtless in the irreverent track, the actor fully leans into the song’s satirical take on “alpha culture”, with people unanimously loving his willingness to poke fun at the trope while adding to the film’s quirky promotional campaign.

The filmmaker also addressed the interesting coincidence between the song’s title and Alia Bhatt’s upcoming actioner Alpha. Saqib is credited as “Alpha Q” in Baby Do Die’s end credits, a decision that has now caught attention after the release of Bhatt’s spy film.

Samant, however, clarified that there was no connection. “We shot the film three years ago. At which point, we couldn’t have known about Shiv Rawail’s Alia Bhatt starrer, Alpha, of course,” he said.

He further explained that the track itself was conceived as a statement on “alpha culture,” adding that the “Alpha Q” credit at the end was simply a playful idea born out of what he described as “crazy credits.”

Signing off, the filmmaker said, “I’m absolutely curious about the film’s response. I was only fearful of not being able to engage, and hold the [audience’s] attention. There were so many interesting characters (that) had to come together in two hours.”

Baby Do Die, starring Huma Qureshi, released alongside Alpha and is continuing to win love from the audience.