Archive · 30 Aug 2026
Santoshi Rejects Claim Sunny Deol’s Muslim Role Sank Batwara 1947
Batwara 1947 is a film about people affected by the Partition of India.
Sunny Deol plays Sikandar Mirza, a Muslim man whose life is disrupted during Partition.
Shabana Azmi said some viewers may not have accepted Sunny as a Muslim character.
She also said many people praised the film’s message about humanity.
Rajkumar Santoshi disagreed and said this explanation did not make sense.
He noted that Amitabh Bachchan had played Muslim heroes in earlier films.
Santoshi said people have become less tolerant and inclusive.
He believes films should be judged by their story and message rather than the religion of their characters.
Shabana Azmi suggested audiences struggled to accept Sunny Deol as a Muslim character in Batwara 1947.
Rajkumar Santoshi rejected the theory, citing Amitabh Bachchan’s Muslim hero in Coolie and other films.
Azmi said many viewers praised the film’s message but theatrical attendance was low and reactions were confused.
Batwara 1947 follows Muslim businessman Sikandar Mirza amid Partition-era displacement and communal tensions.
The film reportedly earned Rs 54.03 crore worldwide against a reported Rs 150 crore budget.
- Who
- Director Rajkumar Santoshi, actors Shabana Azmi and Sunny Deol, and producer Aamir Khan are central to the story.
- What
- Santoshi rejected Azmi’s suggestion that audiences’ difficulty accepting Deol as a Muslim contributed to Batwara 1947’s poor box-office performance.
- When
- The film was released around the Independence Day weekend; the articles do not provide an exact release date.
- Where
- The story is set during the Partition of India and includes Lahore, Pakistan.
- Why
- Azmi linked the film’s weak theatrical response partly to audience discomfort with Deol’s role, while Santoshi disputed that explanation and defended the film’s message.
Shabana Azmi’s View
Rajkumar Santoshi’s View
Possible reason for the poor performance
Shabana Azmi’s View
Azmi suggested that Sunny Deol’s established image and his portrayal of a Muslim may have made the character difficult for some viewers to accept.
Rajkumar Santoshi’s View
Santoshi said the explanation made no sense and questioned whether audiences could no longer accept a hero from another religious community.
Audience response
Shabana Azmi’s View
Azmi said people around her praised the film’s message about humanity, but many did not go to theatres and some who did left confused.
Rajkumar Santoshi’s View
Santoshi argued that the film should be assessed through the filmmaker’s intent and the writer’s message rather than religious divisions.
Social climate and representation
Shabana Azmi’s View
Azmi questioned whether divisions were being deliberately encouraged and said some viewers mistakenly thought Deol was playing a Pakistani character.
Rajkumar Santoshi’s View
Santoshi acknowledged that people have become less tolerant and inclusive, while emphasizing equality and inclusiveness across faiths.
- Film
- Batwara 1947
- Director
- Rajkumar Santoshi
- Lead role
- Sunny Deol plays Sikandar Mirza, a Muslim businessman.
- Story setting
- The film is set against the 1947 Partition of India and involves Sikandar relocating to Lahore, Pakistan.
- Azmi’s view
- She suggested that some audiences could not accept Sunny Deol as a Muslim character and said viewers had confused reactions.
- Santoshi’s response
- He cited Amitabh Bachchan’s Muslim hero in Coolie and Muslim protagonists in Manmohan Desai’s films.
- Reported finances
- The film was reportedly made on a Rs 150 crore budget and had grossed Rs 54.03 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk.
Sources
Did Sunny Deol’s Muslim role cause Batwara 1947 to flop? Rajkumar Santoshi responds to Shabana Azmi
'Amitabh Bachchan Played A Muslim In Coolie': Rajkumar Santoshi Rejects Shabana Azmi’s Theory On Sunny Deol's Role In Batwara 1947
Sunny Deol's Muslim Role Hurt Batwara 1947? Director Rajkumar Santoshi Rejects Shabana Azmi's Theory