Batwara 1947 box office update: Sunny Deol's film trails as Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 races past Rs 1 billion

Five days in, Rajkumar Santoshi's Partition drama Batwara 1947 is winning hearts but not wallets. Despite a cast led by Sunny Deol and Shabana Azmi, the film is finding it tough to hold ground at theatres, especially with Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 pulling audiences away.

The numbers so far

Per Sacnilk estimates, the film's momentum has been shaky since its opening weekend. Sunday saw collections fall 46% to Rs 7.25 crore, and the slide continued into Monday, which dropped a steep 72% to just Rs 2 crore — its weakest day yet. Tuesday brought a modest rebound, up 12.5% to Rs 2.25 crore. That puts the film's five-day domestic net at Rs 30.75 crore, with gross collections at Rs 36.54 crore.

Crossing the Rs 50 crore mark now looks like an uphill task, particularly with Awarapan 2 already past Rs 100 crore and still climbing. The contrast highlights just how much competition Batwara 1947 is up against in the current theatrical window.

Hema Malini's endorsement

Veteran actor Hema Malini shared her support for the film on Instagram after watching it, calling it a powerful watch with a message she felt was relevant to the country today. She spoke about the film's themes of unity and compassion over division, and complimented Santoshi's direction along with the performances of Deol, Azmi, Karan Deol, and Preity Zinta. She also credited Aamir Khan for backing a film with a message she described as timely.

About the film

Batwara 1947 unfolds in Lahore during the upheaval of Partition and the splitting of Punjab in 1947. Sunny Deol plays a Muslim man who relocates to Pakistan post-Partition and takes it upon himself to protect a Hindu woman, played by Shabana Azmi, who now lives in the house assigned to him — all while safeguarding his own family amid the chaos.

The ensemble also includes Preity Zinta, Ali Fazal, Abhimanyu Singh, Khushi Hajare, Kanikka Kapur, Waseem Rajput, and Isha Sandhir. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and produced by Aamir Khan Productions, the film also marks Preity Zinta's return to the big screen after an extended break from acting.