This Independence Day, Emraan Hashmi’s sequel to 2007 cult classic Awarapan will be clashing with Sunny Deol’s Partition-drama Batwara 1947. The two films arrive with very different selling points, but both carry significant expectations. While Awarapan 2 is Emraan’s most anticipated project, owing to the popularity of the original, Batwara 1947 marks Sunny and director Rajkumar Santoshi’s reunion after 30 years. Their collaboration has given hits like Ghayal (1990), Damini (1993), and Ghatak (1996).
With two days to go for the release, it seems like Awarapan 2 has taken the lead over Batwara 1947.
According to trade tracker Sacnilk, the Emraan Hashmi starrer has so far grossed Rs 2.05 crore from advance bookings for its opening day, with 62,431 tickets sold across 3,684 shows. These figures do not include blocked seats. When blocked seats are included, the film’s gross advance booking collection rises to Rs 3.51 crore. Delhi-NCR is currently the film’s strongest-performing region, contributing Rs 51.44 lakh in ticket sales, excluding blocked seats. Mumbai follows with Rs 29.84 lakh, while Pune and Bengaluru have recorded Rs 8.85 lakh and Rs 7.18 lakh, respectively.
Batwara, on the other hand, has grossed Rs 55.51 lakh in bookings for its first day across India, excluding blocked seats. The film has sold 19,816 tickets across 3,546 shows, with an average ticket price of Rs 260, according to a report by Sacnilk. Including blocked seats, the film's opening day bookings gross stands at Rs 1.66 crore.
Trade veteran Taran Adarsh also believes Awarapan 2 currently has the upper hand. Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, he said, “Looking at the advance trends, Awarapan 2 definitely has an edge. Its ticket sales have been very good. The first part didn’t work even though it was a brilliant film. It was among Emraan’s best efforts. I remember talking to the Bhatts after the release of Awarapan. They were totally shaken and were wondering, ‘What happened?’”
Adarsh explained that although Awarapan did not perform strongly at the time of its theatrical release, it gradually developed a dedicated audience. “However, over time, the film cultivated a good fan base amongst viewers of all ages. Thankfully, we are now seeing its true potential, with people buying tickets in hordes. There’s a huge difference between the bookings of Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947 at present,” he said.
Trade analyst Ramesh Bala told NDTV that Awarapan 2 currently has the advantage in the opening battle.
"Awarapan 2 has the edge in the opening battle, thanks to strong nostalgia and Emraan Hashmi's cult following. But Batwara 1947 could score big with the mass and family audience. Ultimately, word of mouth will decide the Independence Day winner," Ramesh said.
He said the early advance booking figures paint a favourable picture for Awarapan 2.
"The first round of the Independence Day clash clearly belongs to Awarapan 2. With nearly 68,000 tickets sold and ₹2.20 crore in advance sales, Emraan Hashmi's film is comfortably ahead of Batwara 1947 at around 37,600 tickets. That's an 81 per cent lead in ticket sales - a strong indication of the nostalgia and anticipation surrounding Awarapan 2," he said.
While Emraan Hashmi’s film has an upper hand in advance sales, we are yet to witness which film will eventually fare better at the box office.
