A lot was expected from Batwara 1947, considering the star cast and association of Aamir Khan as a producer. However, the film had a poor opening of just Rs. 5.52 crores. It had an advantage on Independence Day when the collections jumped to Rs. 12.90 crores. However, the film had a huge fall over the weekdays. On its second Friday, the earnings dropped to less than Rs. 1 crore. With Toxic releasing on August 26, the lifetime earnings would struggle to even cross the Rs. 45 crore mark. We spoke to trade experts to understand what went wrong with the film.
What went wrong with Batwara 1947? Trade experts share their views: “It was trying to swim upstream rather than going with the stream, as Awarapan 2 did. Hence, it drowned”
Trade veteran Taran Adarsh said, “What has really surprised me is why this film has not worked. In my opinion, it was a well-made film. I genuinely felt that the emotions between Shabana Azmi and Sunny Deol were very well captured on screen. The performances were of a very high order, while Rajkumar Santoshi’s direction was top-notch. The finale was very gripping. I am still unable to figure out and put a finger on why the film did not work.”
He continued, “A lot of people told me, and I even read online, that Sunny’s image is associated with films like Gadar (2001), Gadar 2 (2023), Jaat (2025), etc., where he is seen screaming and indulging in action. But I don’t feel that Sunny was mellow over here. He was mellow only up to a point, and later, he did indulge in action. Nevertheless, it was a well-made film that did not get its due.”
Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director at film production and distribution firm Karmic Films, explained, “It had a strong combination on paper – the return of Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi, with Aamir Khan Productions backing a powerful historical project. But today, even pedigree and scale cannot guarantee theatrical conversion. There has to be an urgency among the audience to experience the film in cinemas. Sometimes, a film receives appreciation from a section of the audience and yet, it doesn’t translate into footfalls.”
Vishek Chauhan, owner of Roopbani Cinema in Purnia, Bihar, opined, “The makers showed Sunny Deol as a Muslim and a Pakistani. It went against his image. They portrayed Shabana Azmi as a pious Hindu woman, which doesn’t go with her image either. Moreover, this film talks about bhaichaara, and it’s not in sync with the current mood. At present, the mood is one of confrontation. As a result, it had to crash. It was trying to swim upstream rather than going with the stream, as Awarapan 2 did. Hence, it drowned.”
More Pages: Awarapan 2 Box Office Collection , Awarapan 2 Movie Review
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