15 August,2026 07:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Batwara 1947 vs Awarapan 2. Pics via Instagram
The Independence Day weekend is spoiling audiences for choices, with two distinct films running at the box office. Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 is locking horns with Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2, wherein the latter is clearly emerging as the leader. On day 1 of release, Emraan Hashmi's romantic thriller earned four times of Sunny Deol's patriotic drama.
Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta's Batwara 1947 has opened to Rs 5.75 crore nett in India, according to reports. The film, which was released on Friday, registered a moderate start at the box office. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, the film trailed its box-office rival, Awarapan 1, by a significant margin on Day 1.
According to early estimates by trade website Sacnilk, Batwara 1947 earned Rs 5.75 crore nett in India on its opening day from 8,721 shows. The film's gross collection in India stood at an estimated Rs 6.84 crore.
The film also registered an estimated Rs 1.50 crore in overseas gross, taking its opening-day worldwide gross to approximately Rs 8.34 crore. The film witnessed an overall occupancy of 15.42 per cent on Day 1, as night shows witnessed the highest turnout.
Notably, Batwara 1947 has recorded the lowest opening for a solo Deol film ever since Bhaiaji Superhit.
On the other hand, Awarapan 2 set a new record for Emraan Hashmi by earning over Rs 21 crore nett on its release day. The film had already earned over Rs 8 crore in advance bookings even before release, giving it a significant lead. Wth that, the sequel has surpassed the lifetime collection of its 2007 original, which had earned Rs 7.76 crore during its entire theatrical run.
The solid opening has made Awarapan 2 the biggest first-day collection of Hashmi's career, beating Badshaho's opening collection of Rs 12.50 crore. Awarapan 2 witnessed an overwhelming response, particularly in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, registering up to 90 per cent occupancy on Friday night shows.
Awarapan 2 is presented by Mukesh Bhatt and Vishesh Films and produced by Vishesh Bhatt. Along with Emraan Hashmi, the film also stars Disha Patani, Shabana Azmi and others.
