Archive · 16 Aug 2026
Batwara 1947 Jumps 135% on Saturday, Earns Rs 26.41 Crore
A new movie called Batwara 1947 came out in Indian cinemas on August 14.
It tells a story about the year 1947, when India was divided and the country of Pakistan was created.
The movie is set in the city of Lahore and shows people of different religions being separated.
Sunny Deol plays a Muslim businessman who moves to Pakistan but finds a Hindu woman living in his new home, so he decides to protect her.
The movie was made by famous filmmaker Aamir Khan and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi.
On its first day, the movie earned about 5.75 crore rupees in India.
The next day, which was a holiday, it earned much more — about 13.50 crore rupees.
Some reviewers loved the movie's message about being kind and fair to people of every religion.
Other reviewers said the movie felt old-fashioned and could have shown more of how sad that time really was.
Another movie called Awarapan 2 opened the same day and earned even more money.
Released on August 14, Batwara 1947 opened with Rs 5.75 crore net in India across 8,721 shows, per trade tracker Sacnilk.
The film jumped 134.8% on Saturday with Rs 13.50 crore net, taking its two-day India net to Rs 19.25 crore and worldwide gross to Rs 26.41 crore.
Directed and co-written by Rajkumar Santoshi and produced by Aamir Khan's Aamir Khan Productions, the film marks Preity Zinta's return to the big screen after eight years and stars Sunny Deol as Sikandar Khan, a Muslim businessman who protects a Hindu woman played by Shabana Azmi.
It opened well behind Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2, which earned Rs 22 crore on day one and Rs 55.75 crore in India over two days.
Reviews were mixed: WION's Shomini Sen called it 'a sharp, defiant plea for secularism,' while SCREEN's review termed the storytelling 'dated and banal.'
- Who
- Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta lead the cast, alongside Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal, Karan Deol and others; the film is directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and produced by Aamir Khan's Aamir Khan Productions.
- What
- The Partition drama Batwara 1947 opened on August 14 and jumped 134.8% on Saturday, reaching Rs 19.25 crore net in India and Rs 26.41 crore worldwide gross in two days.
- When
- Released on August 14; day two fell on Saturday, August 15, India's Independence Day holiday.
- Where
- Released in India and overseas markets; the story is set in Lahore during the 1947 Partition of India and the division of Punjab.
- Why
- The film tells a Partition-era story of a Muslim man shielding a Hindu woman, championing secularism and tolerance, and its box office received a boost from the Independence Day holiday.
Supportive View
Critical View
Critical Reception
Supportive View
WION's Shomini Sen called Batwara 1947 'a sharp, defiant plea for secularism' that champions tolerance and offers an essential reminder that humanity must triumph over religious divides.
Critical View
SCREEN's review said that while the film's messaging is relevant, the storytelling is 'dated and banal.'
Box Office Momentum
Supportive View
The film opened weakly at Rs 5.75 crore and lagged far behind Awarapan 2 in advance bookings (Rs 1.76 crore vs Rs 8 crore), suggesting a modest run.
Critical View
A 134.8% Saturday jump to Rs 13.50 crore with occupancy rising to 35.37% signals strong weekend interest, boosted by the Independence Day holiday.
- Director
- Rajkumar Santoshi
- Producer
- Aamir Khan (Aamir Khan Productions)
- Lead Cast
- Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal
- Release Date
- August 14
- Day 1 India Net
- Rs 5.75 crore across 8,721 shows
- Day 2 India Net
- Rs 13.50 crore (134.8% jump)
- Two-Day Worldwide Gross
- Rs 26.41 crore
- Day 2 Occupancy
- 35.37%
