With Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947 arriving during the Independence Day weekend, both films are expected to attract audiences for very different reasons. But according to trade analyst Akkshay Rathie, Awarapan 2 appears to have the edge when it comes to the opening.
Speaking exclusively to India TV, Rathie refused to call the release a box office clash. Instead, he believes the two films can comfortably coexist in theatres and cater to different audiences.
'Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947 can complement each other'
Akkshay Rathie said the two films belong to different genres and can bring different sets of moviegoers to theatres. “Well, I don't think it's a clash. It's two movies that complement each other beautifully, bringing different audiences coming together to the cinemas. Sunny Deol is a well-established superstar over decades, and Emraan Hashmi has his own following. And these are two films that, intrinsically in terms of genres, can complement each other beautifully.”
He also pointed out that theatres have enough shows and seats to accommodate both releases. “There's enough inventory in the cinemas in terms of number of seats and shows to be able to accommodate both these films, given the kind of openings they seem to be taking and the kind of business they have the potential to do. So, I wouldn't call it a clash. I'd call it an Independence Day celebration at the cinemas with two lovely movies coming together.”
Awarapan 2 vs Batwara 1947: Which film could take the bigger opening?
When asked which film could potentially overrun the other at the box office, Rathie gave Awarapan 2 the advantage. According to him, the sequel has the benefit of the cult following enjoyed by its predecessor. He also highlighted the combination of Sunny Deol and director Rajkumar Santoshi.
“When it comes to the business of both the films, in terms of opening, it looks like Awarapan is set to take the bigger one given the kind of cult status it enjoys from its predecessor 19 years ago. And that's absolutely incredible. And again, Rajkumar Santoshi and Sunny Deol are a combination that has never failed," he told us.
Rathie also mentioned Aamir Khan's involvement, saying, “Plus, you have somebody like Mr Aamir Khan who has been known to be one of the sharpest minds in the business. And with him at the helm of things, I wouldn't be surprised if something truly special comes along.”
Awarapan 2 opening day estimate
Rathie expects Awarapan 2 to open in the range of Rs 12-13 crore on its first day. “When it comes to the opening day, it looks like Aawarapan is set to take an opening that's in the tune of Rs 12-13 crores,” he said.
He expects Batwara 1947 to start slightly lower, although he believes the film could gain momentum through word of mouth. “Batwara 1947 maybe a little lesser given the fact that it's a movie that, while it has the power of Sunny Deol and the power of attraction it can draw, it intrinsically in terms of the genre seems to be a lot of word-of-mouth film, which all of us are hopeful will just build up day by day and explode over the weekend.”
With the two films targeting different audiences, the Independence Day weekend could ultimately prove big enough for both Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947.
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Awarapan 2 gets U/A 16+ certificate ahead of release; Emraan Hashmi film's plot and runtime revealed
