Archive · 14 Aug 2026
Batwara 1947 Review: Sunny Deol, Shabana Azmi Lead Partition Drama
A new Hindi movie called Batwara 1947 tells a story from a very sad part of Indian history called the Partition of 1947, when the country was divided into two new countries.
A family called the Mirzas has to run away from their city because of violence, and they end up in a new city called Lahore.
They are given a big house, but an old Hindu woman named Durga Mai still lives upstairs and will not leave because she is waiting for her son to come and get her.
At first this causes trouble, but slowly the man of the house, Sikandar Mirza, begins to care for her like family.
The movie asks a big question: were religions meant to bring people together, or do people use them to divide each other?
The film's message is that being kind and treating everyone as a human being matters more than religion.
Many famous actors are in it, including Sunny Deol, Shabana Azmi, Preity Zinta and Ali Fazal, and Aamir Khan is listed as producer in one article.
Some reviewers praised the acting and the message, but they also said the first half is slow, the editing is patchy, and some parts feel theatrical.
Batwara 1947 was released around India's Independence Day and earned a 3 out of 5 star rating from one review.
Batwara 1947 is a Hindi Partition-era drama directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, based on Asghar Wajahat's play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai.
Sunny Deol plays Sikandar Mirza, a businessman forced to flee to Lahore, where an elderly Hindu woman, Durga Mai (Shabana Azmi), refuses to vacate the allotted haveli.
The film stars Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal, Karan Deol and Abhimanyu Singh, and was released around India's 80th Independence Day.
Reviews praise the film's secularism and humanity message and Shabana Azmi's performance, but note a slow first half, patchy editing and theatrical supporting performances.
Articles differ on details, including Preity Zinta's character (Hamida vs Nargis), the antagonist (Yaqub vs Pahalwan) and the city the family fled (Meerut vs Lucknow); one review rated it 3 out of 5 stars.
- Who
- Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal, Karan Deol and Abhimanyu Singh star, with Rajkumar Santoshi directing; one article lists Aamir Khan as producer.
- What
- Batwara 1947, a Hindi Partition-era drama about a Muslim family in Lahore sheltering an elderly Hindu woman, exploring religion, hatred and humanity.
- When
- Set during the 1947 Partition of India; released around India's 80th Independence Day.
- Where
- India, with the family fleeing Meerut (or Lucknow, per one article) and settling in Lahore.
- Why
- To look beyond Partition as a political event and focus on the people caught in its violence, championing secularism and humanity over religious divides.
In Favour of the Film
Potential Critics
Religious Boundary-Crossing
In Favour of the Film
Showing a Muslim character lighting a diya for Ram reinforces the film's point that faith should not be used to deny someone else's humanity, and the casting of actors across religious lines supports its message.
Potential Critics
Some viewers may question why a Muslim character is shown lighting a diya for Ram and may find fault with the film for crossing certain religious boundaries.
Restrained Sunny Deol
In Favour of the Film
Deol trades jingoism for a more important battle, and his quieter emotional journey as Sikandar Mirza is one of the film's strengths.
Potential Critics
Audiences expecting a signature Sunny Deol film full of roaring dialogues and larger-than-life action sequences may be surprised by the restrained approach.
Execution vs Message
In Favour of the Film
The film's heart is in the right place, delivering a powerful secularism message with standout performances from Deol and Shabana Azmi.
Potential Critics
Critics note the film is flawed: a stretched first half, patchy editing, theatrical supporting performances, uneven writing and some unconvincing character transitions.
- Film
- Batwara 1947
- Director
- Rajkumar Santoshi
- Producer
- Aamir Khan (per one article)
- Language
- Hindi
- Lead Cast
- Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal, Karan Deol, Abhimanyu Singh
- Based On
- Asghar Wajahat's play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai
- Music
- A.R. Rahman
- Review Rating
- 3 out of 5 stars (one review)
Sources
Batwara 1947 Movie Review: Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi Turn Horrors Of Partition Into Vulnerable Tale Of Humanity
Batwara 1947 review: Sunny Deol trades jingoism for a more important battle
‘Batwara 1947’ review: Sunny Deol-starrer Partition drama is old wine in an old bottle
