Awarapan 2 eyes Rs 20 crore opening, leads Batwara 1947

Two big Bollywood movies open in India on the same day, August 14, just before Independence Day.

One is Awarapan 2, starring Emraan Hashmi and Disha Patani, a sequel to the 2007 film Awarapan that became a cult favourite.

The other is Batwara 1947, starring Sunny Deol, a drama set during India's Partition in 1947.

Even before the movies opened, Awarapan 2 sold many more advance tickets than Batwara 1947.

Because of that, experts think Awarapan 2 could earn around Rs 20 crore on its first day, more than first expected.

The writer of Awarapan 2 says the sequel had to be made because the story of the character Shivam Pandit was not finished.

One trade expert says Batwara 1947 will need strong word of mouth and older audiences to grow.

Early Day 1 estimates showed Awarapan 2 collecting Rs 0.46 crore net so far, with final numbers still awaited.

Both films will compete over the holiday weekend, and their opening-day results will show which one is winning.