August 14 saw a massive box office clash, with two big vehicles like Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947 pitted against each other. However, the Emraan Hashmi starrer emerged as a clear winner, on Friday.

As per a report by Sacnilk, Awarapan 2 collected Rs 21.50 crore (nett) on day at 1 at the domestic box office. On the other hand, The Sunny Deol-Preity Zinta starrer period drama failed to reach double digits, garnering Rs 5.75 crore (nett). Both the films registered their best occupancies in Delhi-NCR territory.

While most predictions pointed towards Awarapan 2 taking the lead on Batwara 1947, the margin between the two films has surpassed all expectations. Collecting nearly 4 times of Batwara 1947 on the opening day and receiving largely positive reviews from critics, the Emraan Hashmi starrer is set for a massive weekend ahead. The film’s lead is even more impressive, considering both films almost have equal number of screenings. In our review for the film, we noted, "The appreciative thing about the sequel is that it doesn’t rely too much on the original. There are no forced callbacks, no nostalgia-baiting tropes. Awarapan 2 stands on its own, eventhough its stance is wobbly. For the millennials there is a lot to cheer for."

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen whether Batwara 1947 will show any major upward trend in the coming days. Although the reviews have been largely mixed, the period Partition-drama might benefit to some extent from the patriotic mood of the Independence Day weekend. 

In the overseas marker, however, Batwara 1947 has comparatively given a tougher competition, collecting Rs 1.5 crore compared to Awarapan 2’s Rs 2 crore nett.

Directed by Nitin Kakkar, Awarapan 2 stars Disha Patani as the female lead. Batwara 1947, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, has an impressive ensemble cast with Ali Fazal, and Abhimanyu Singh. Incidentally, Shabana Azmi features in a prominent role in both the films.