The Independence Day box office clash between Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 and Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 has yielded a clear winner. While Awarapan 2 opened on a strong note with occupancy of around 25%, Batwara 1947 had a poor start with hardly any initial audience at around 5%[reference:119].
Awarapan 2's Strong Start
Awarapan 2, a sequel to the 2007 cult film, has opened to positive response[reference:120]. The morning shows collections are more than double that of films like Welcome to the Jungle and Dhamaal 4[reference:121]. The film is set up for a Rs 20 crore nett plus opening day, with the Independence Day holiday expected to boost evening and night shows[reference:122]. With controlled costs, the film appears to be a sure-shot hit[reference:123].
Batwara 1947's Poor Opening
Batwara 1947, on the other hand, is off to a poor start, unlike other recent films of Sunny Deol[reference:124]. The film, set against a partition backdrop, has mass elements but lacks the front-footed appeal of the Gadar films[reference:125]. The hope will be for word of mouth to push it forward[reference:126].
Showcasing Controversy
The opening of Awarapan 2 has made this a good Friday, but the showcasing allotted to the two films is virtually the same. Awarapan 2 had 8 times the advance bookings of Batwara 1947 but is still having similar shows[reference:127]. This happened because the distributor of Batwara 1947 is also the biggest cinema chain in the country and has put that at their disposal, giving equal shows to both films[reference:128]. This sort of monopolistic practice is both ethically and commercially wrong[reference:129].
The Bigger Picture
The clash results reverse a 19-year-old box office story[reference:130]. Batwara 1947 is backed by Aamir Khan Productions and marks the return of Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi after a long gap[reference:131]. However, the film's poor opening raises concerns about its long-term performance.