Archive · 14 Aug 2026
Batwara 1947 Review: Sunny Deol, Shabana Azmi Impress Despite Flaws
A movie called Batwara 1947 tells the story of the Partition of India in 1947, when the country was split into two parts.
The story begins on August 15, 1947, when a man named Sikandar Mirza has to leave his home in Meerut because of riots.
In all the chaos, his son Javed gets left behind in India.
Sikandar and his family travel to Lahore and are given a big house to live in.
But an old woman named Durgavati already lives there and refuses to leave.
Sikandar also spends a lot of time searching for his missing son at camps, railway stations and hospitals.
The movie stars Sunny Deol, Shabana Azmi and Preity Zinta, and it was directed by Rajkumar Santoshi.
Reviewers say the actors did a great job and the story is very emotional.
But they think some action scenes are too dramatic and the movie could have been edited better.
Overall, they say it is an average but powerful film.
Batwara 1947, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and based on Asghar Wajahat's award-winning play, is a Partition-era drama beginning on August 15, 1947.
Sikandar Mirza (Sunny Deol) is forced to leave his Meerut home with his wife and daughter after riots, while his son Javed (Karan Deol) is left behind in India.
After reaching Lahore and being allotted a haveli, Sikandar searches relief camps, railway stations and hospitals for his missing son.
An elderly Hindu woman, Durgavati (Shabana Azmi), refuses to vacate the haveli allotted to the family, setting up the film's central conflict.
The film received 2.5 stars; reviewers praised the performances but criticized the stretched second half, over-the-top action and uneven editing and dialogue.
- Who
- Sunny Deol as Sikandar Mirza, Karan Deol as his son Javed, Shabana Azmi as Durgavati, with Preity Zinta, Abhimanyu Singh and Ali Fazal in key roles; directed by Rajkumar Santoshi.
- What
- A review of the Partition drama film Batwara 1947, which follows a family separated by riots who are later locked in a dispute over an allotted haveli.
- When
- The story begins on August 15, 1947, during the Partition of India; the reviews were published around Independence Day.
- Where
- The story starts in Meerut, India, and shifts to Lahore after the family's forced migration.
- Why
- Sikandar searches for his son who was left behind during Partition riots, while an elderly Hindu woman refuses to leave the haveli allotted to his family.
- Film
- Batwara 1947
- Director
- Rajkumar Santoshi
- Cast
- Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal, Karan Deol, Abhimanyu Singh
- Based on
- Asghar Wajahat's award-winning play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai
- Release
- In theatres
- Rating
- 2.5 stars
- Story setting
- Indian Partition, beginning August 15, 1947
- Locations
- Meerut (India) and Lahore
