Sunny Deol’s Partition drama Batwara 1947: reviews, pre-sales and day-one box office

Actress Shabana Azmi has expressed her surprise over the poor box-office performance of Batwara 1947, which was released on August 14 starring Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta, saying she has received positive feedback from people who watched the film but believes its message failed to translate into theatrical footfall. Sunny Deol Was Upset With Aamir Khan After He Rejected Batwara 1947's ₹60 Crore OTT Offer, Actors Had Differences Before Release: ReportShabana Azmi Points To Sunny Deol's Muslim RoleIn a conversation with Zoom, Shabana opened up about the film’s reception and questioned why audiences appeared reluctant to accept Sunny in the role of a Muslim character. The veteran actress said that many people had told her they loved the film’s message and felt that it was important to speak about humanity in today’s environment. However, she noted that despite the positive feedback, audiences did not turn up in large numbers at theatres, while those who watched the film walked out with confused reactions. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zee Music Company (@zeemusiccompany)Azmi also claimed that some viewers misunderstood the character played by Sunny Deol, believing that he was portraying a Pakistani. According to her, this was not the case.'People Think Sunny Deol Is Playing A Pakistani'“I am surprised at how people are reacting to it. Even the ones who have watched the film think Sunny Deol is playing a Pakistani. He is not. It is simply not registering in their heads,” she said.Batwara 1947 Review: Sunny Deol, Shabana Azmi Impress, But Film Struggles To Rise Above AverageThe actress also referred to criticism from Pakistani actor Bushra Ahmed, who reportedly objected to the film’s language and the Punjabi dialect used by the villain. Azmi said the criticism from both sides was, in a way, evidence of the film’s larger message.Addressing the broader sensitivity surrounding stories about India and Pakistan, Azmi said she found the situation disappointing. "The problem is that you cannot touch the subject of Hindustan and Pakistan in this setup, which is very disappointing," she said, adding that she did not believe the film was politically incorrect.

Rajkumar Santoshi repurposes Sunny Deol’s might and Asghar Wajahat’s text to interrogate modern-day fanaticism with mixed results.

Actors Aamir Khan and Sunny Deol's collaboration on Batwara 1947 reportedly came with its share of disagreements, with differences said to have emerged over the film’s business strategy and release plans. Aamir served as producer, while Sunny played the lead role of Sikandar Mirza.The project, which brought the two actors together professionally after several years, faced multiple delays before reaching theatres. According to a report in Filmfare, the prolonged wait and differing views over the film’s commercial prospects created friction between the two.OTT offer reportedly became a point of disagreementThe film, earlier titled Lahore 1947, went through several changes to its release schedule. Its release was initially planned for January 2025 before being moved to June and subsequently delayed again as some portions were reshot and Aamir explored different strategies for its release. View this post on Instagram A post shared by FPJ Lifestyle (@fpjlifestyle)At the time, Sunny was coming off the success of Gadar 2, while his subsequent film Jaat also kept attention on his theatrical prospects. According to the report, an OTT platform had offered more than Rs 60 crore for the film’s digital rights."It was then, that a major OTT platform offered 60+ crores for the rights of Batwara 1947, which was called Lahore 1947 back then. Sunny and Aamir had a business agreement that Sunny would get 50 per cent share of the film's profits. So a haul of Rs 60 crore was a business deal that Sunny was very excited about. But Aamir, was thinking of other avenues and aspects."Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 Beats Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 At The Box Office With A Huge MarginAamir was also overseeing the release strategy for Sitaare Zameen Par around the same period. The producer was reportedly considering a YouTube release and a possible pay-per-view or video-on-demand approach. He ultimately decided against the reported Rs 60 crore offer. Reportedly, Sunny was unhappy with the decision.If those reported valuations are accurate, the difference represents a significant drop from the earlier offer. Since Sunny reportedly had a 50 per cent profit-sharing arrangement, the film’s commercial performance would have had a direct impact on his earnings.Aamir and Sunny promoted the film togetherWhile the two may have disagreed over business decisions, their professional conduct during the film’s release remained intact. Aamir and Sunny appeared together at promotional events and public appearances to support Batwara 1947. The two also came together on Kaun Banega Crorepati, where they spoke about their long professional history. Meanwhile, Batwara 1947 has received mixed reviews from critics and the audience. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, the film also stars Shabana Azmi, Preity Zinta, Abhimanyu Singh, Karan Deol and others.

Sunny Deol, Shabana Azmi and Preity Zinta’s period drama Batwara 1947 witnessed a major drop in collections on its first Monday. The film, which also stars Karan Deol, Ali Fazal, Abhimanyu Singh, Khushi Hajare, Kanikka Kapur, Waseem Rajput and Isha Sandhir, was released on August 14 and clashed with Emraan Hashmi’s Awarapan 2. Since its release, Batwara 1947 has been performing slowly at the box office, with Emraan Hashmi’s film emerging as the stronger performer. View this post on Instagram A post shared by FPJ Lifestyle (@fpjlifestyle)'More Important Than Hatred & Division...': Hema Malini Reviews Stepson Sunny Deol Starrer Batwara 1947Batwara 1947 Box Office Collection Day 4According to Sacnilk, Batwara 1947 collected approximately Rs 2 crore net in India on Day 4, across 6,771 shows. With this, the film's total India net collection stands at Rs 28.50 crore, while its India gross collection has reached Rs 33.95 crore.The film also recorded Rs 75 lakh from overseas markets on its fourth day. Its total overseas gross collection now stands at Rs 6.25 crore. Taking the domestic and international markets together, Batwara 1947 has accumulated a worldwide gross collection of Rs 40.20 crore so far.The Day 4 numbers indicate a significant weekday drop for the film. After collecting Rs 7.25 crore net on Sunday, the fall to Rs 2 crore on Monday represents a drop of around 72%. Batwara 1947 BudgetAccording to reports, Batwara 1947 has been made on a budget of approximately Rs 120 crore. At the current pace, the film still has a considerable distance to cover before recovering its reported production cost from theatrical revenues. However, the film’s box office performance over the coming weekdays and its second weekend will be crucial in determining whether it can show signs of recovery.Batwara 1947 X Review: 'Deeply Emotional', 'Solid Big Screen Experience'; Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi Starrer Impresses Netizens View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aamir Khan Productions (@aamirkhanproductions)Batwara 1947 ReviewThe Free Press Journal reviewer gave the Sunny Deol starrer 2.5 stars and wrote, "Batwara 1947 has all the ingredients of an emotional Partition drama - action, family drama, patriotism, emotions and a strong central conflict. The performances, especially by Sunny Deol and Shabana Azmi, keep the film going. But the film doesn't quite reach its full potential. The second half could have been tighter, the dialogues sharper and some of the heroism and action less dramatic. There are definitely moments that will make you emotional, but overall, Batwara 1947 remains an average watch despite having a powerful story at its core."

After Dharmendra's demise, everyone was wondering what the equation would be between Hema Malini and her stepsons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol. However, it seems like all is well in the family, as the veteran actress and BJP MP took to X to praise Sunny's recently released film Batwara 1947.Hema tweeted, "I watched the movie 'Batwara' yday. Simply brilliant with a clear message that conveys what the nation needs today (sic)."I watched the movie “Batwara” yday. Simply brilliant with a clear message that conveys what the nation needs today.It reminds us that humanity, mutual respect, and harmony are far more important than hatred and division. I hope this beautiful message inspires people to change… pic.twitter.com/vR12C4ObjA— Hema Malini (@dreamgirlhema) August 17, 2026 She further wrote that the film reminds everyone that humanity, mutual respect, and harmony are more important than hatred and division. The actress wrote that she hopes that the beautiful message in the movie inspires people to change their mindset and choose kindness over hate.Batwara 1947 Day 3 Box Office Collection: Sunny Deol's Film Sees 46% Drop, Still Far From Reported ₹120 Crore BudgetHema Malini Praises Sunny DeolThe Sholay actress praised the actors' performances in Batwara 1947 and wrote, "Brilliant direction by Rajkumar Santoshi with outstanding performances by Sunny Deol and Shabana Azmi. Also in the cast with good performances were Karan Deol & Preity Zinta. Congratulations to Aamir Khan for producing a timeless film with a message that is truly the need of the hour (sic)." View this post on Instagram A post shared by FPJ Lifestyle (@fpjlifestyle) Batwara 1947 Box Office CollectionBatwara 1947 has received mixed to positive reviews from critics and the audience. However, the film has failed to leave a mark at the box office during the weekend.The movie has collected Rs. 26.50 crore net in India during its first weekend, which is a disappointing amount. Reportedly, the film is made on a budget of Rs. 120 crore, so clearly the first weekend collection is not up to the mark. Batwara 1947 needs to perform well at the box office during weekdays.Gunmaaster G9 Release Date: After Beating Batwara 1947 At Box Office, Awarapan 2 Actor Emraan Hashmi Set To Clash With Sooraj Barjatya's Yeh Prem Mol LiyaBatwara 1947 ReviewThe Free Press Journal reviewer gave the movie 2.5 stars and wrote, "Batwara 1947 has all the ingredients of an emotional Partition drama - action, family drama, patriotism, emotions and a strong central conflict. The performances, especially by Sunny Deol and Shabana Azmi, keep the film going."

With a net earning of Rs 20.65 crore in India, Batwara 1947 has made a notable mark at the box office. Bringing together Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi after a long gap, the film also features a comeback from Preity Zinta, who returns to the screen after an eight-year pause. Though it faced a tough release window, its earnings have shown a positive reception across the country.