Batwara 1947 box office day 1: Sunny Deol-starrer Batwara 1947 released alongside Awarapan 2 on August 14. While the Rajkumar Santoshi directorial was expected to open strongly, given its backdrop of the India-Pakistan Partition, the film failed to attract the expected footfall. Despite being backed by Aamir Khan, and marking the reunion of Deol and Santoshi, the film struggled to draw audiences to theatres.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the film earned Rs 5.75 crore across 8,721 shows on its opening day. Its India gross collection stands at Rs 6.48 crore, while it earned Rs 1.50 crore overseas, taking its worldwide gross collection to Rs 8.34 crore.
The film recorded a disappointing 15% occupancy on Day 1. Meanwhile, Awarapan 2, which arrived nearly 19 years after its prequel, has opened on a much stronger note. Despite the 2007 film having tanked at the box office, the sequel earned over Rs 27 crore worldwide on its opening day and is expected to witness an even stronger response on Day 2, with several shows fast-filling across major cities.
Batwara 1947 is set against the backdrop of the 1947 Partition of India and explores its human cost. The film generated considerable buzz as it marked the reunion of Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi, who had previously collaborated on iconic films such as Ghayal, Damini and Ghatak.
The film was initially titled Lahore 1947 but was later renamed Batwara 1947, reportedly due to concerns surrounding the political sensitivities associated with the original title.
Sunny Deol had a major comeback with Gadar 2, which opened at Rs 47.32 crore net and worldwide collection of Rs 53.32 crore. More recently, his film Border 2 also registered a strong opening, collecting Rs 30 crore on its first day, and Rs 43.50 crore worldwide.
However, Batwara 1947 has failed to generate the same level of attention at the box office. It remains to be seen whether the film can gain momentum over the weekend and benefit from the Independence Day holiday. The film is reportedly made on a budget of Rs 150 crore, making its current box office performance particularly challenging.
