Awarapan 2, Batwara 1947 Movie Release Highlights: Emraan Hashmi vs Sunny Deol, who is winning the box office?

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Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 was released in theatres on August 14. The film also stars Shabana Azmi as a villain. Another villain who has caught fans' attention is Puran Gabbi, who is actress Wamiqa Gabbi’s brother. Click here to know more about him.

On the release day of Awarapan 2, lead actress Disha Patani shared a black-and-white poster featuring herself with Emraan Hashmi on Instagram. In the caption, she simply wrote, "Movie out now."

The patriotic drama Batwara 1947 has received positive reactions from viewers. One X user wrote, "Batwara 1947 looks like a film that brings a significant chapter of history to the big screen with a strong emotional core (sic)."

So far, Awarapan 2 has received mostly positive responses from audiences who watched the film on its release day. While some users praised the film’s music and Emraan Hashmi’s performance, others found the first half “slow”. Read what X users are saying about it here.

Producer Ramesh Taurani heaped praise on Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 while sharing his review of the film. He called it "terrific" and described it as a "deeply sensitive and truly humanity-glorifying film" that deserves to be watched First Day, First Show. Take a look below:

According to trade tracker Sacnilk, Sunny Deol's patriotic drama Batwara 1947 has collected Rs 0.43 crore across 2,462 shows at the time of writing. The film has grossed Rs 0.51 crore, while its net collection in India stands at Rs 0.43 crore. However, the final Day 1 figures are awaited.

It must be noted that Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 will arrive on Prime Video after completing its theatrical run. The film's OTT platform was announced during its theatrical release. However, an official update regarding its OTT release date is still awaited.

On the eve of Batwara 1947’s release, Preity Zinta treated her fans to a black-and-white picture from her look test for the film. She plays the role of Hamida in the Sunny Deol-starrer. Sharing the portrait, Preity also penned a note describing her character and quoted Rumi's famous words about finding light in the darkness.

She captioned the post as, "On the eve of the release of Batwara 1947, I wanted to go back to where it all started. This photo was taken at the look test where I saw n felt the first glimpse of Hamida. To me Hamida is beautifully described by these famous words from Rumi - “If everything around seems dark, look again, you may be the light.' See you all in a theater next to you on the 14th of Aug for Batwara 1947! Ting! (sic)." 

Notably, Awarapan 2 continues the story of the 2007 film Awarapan. According to producer Vishesh Bhatt, the sequel will pick up from where the original ended. In the first film, Emraan Hashmi’s character, Shivam Pandit, is shot multiple times in the climax, leaving his fate uncertain. 

Meanwhile, Sunny Deol’s Batwara 1947 is set against the backdrop of Partition. The film follows a Mohajir family that moves to Lahore after Partition and settles in an abandoned Hindu home, exploring themes of displacement, identity and survival.

It must be noted that Emraan Hashmi’s Awarapan 2 received a U/A 16+ certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) after nine changes were ordered. Meanwhile, Sunny Deol’s Batwara 1947 received an Adults-Only (A) certificate from the CBFC.

Awarapan 2 actors Emraan Hashmi and Disha Patani recently attended the special screening of the film, which took place on Thursday, August 13, in Mumbai. Several pictures and videos from the screening surfaced online. At the event, Disha looked stunning in a red halter-neck maxi dress, while Emraan Hashmi was seen wearing a black T-shirt and trousers. Take a look below:

According to trade tracker Sacnilk, Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 is ahead of Batwara 1947, with a gross collection of Rs 8.57 crore from 2,85,802 tickets sold (excluding block seats). In comparison, Batwara 1947 has recorded Rs 1.76 crore gross from 65,391 tickets sold.

The long-awaited sequel to the 2007 cult classic Awarapan, starring Emraan Hashmi, Awarapan 2, has finally hit theatres on August 14. The film has clashed with Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947, which also stars Preity Zinta, Karan Deol and Shabana Azmi in key roles