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The Independence Day weekend box office clash between Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947 has produced a decisive winner on opening day. Emraan Hashmi’s action drama has registered a significantly stronger start than Sunny Deol’s Partition drama, collecting over Rs 21 crore nett in India on August 14, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. Batwara 1947, meanwhile, opened at Rs 5.75 crore nett.

The numbers put Awarapan 2 at nearly four times the opening-day collection of Batwara 1947. The two films had almost the same number of shows across India, making the difference in their opening-day performance even more pronounced. Awarapan 2 also recorded substantially stronger occupancy, reaching around 75 per cent for its night shows. Batwara 1947, which saw occupancy in the 7-12 per cent range during the day, improved to around 25 per cent during its night screenings.

The opening marks a new career high for Hashmi. Before Awarapan 2, his biggest first-day collection came with Baadshaho, which earned Rs 12.60 crore nett in 2017. Raaz 2 had opened at Rs 10.35 crore nett in 2012. Awarapan 2 has therefore comfortably surpassed both figures to give the actor his biggest opening-day number.

The sequel has also crossed the entire theatrical collection of Awarapan within a single day. The 2007 original, which developed a cult following over the years, earned Rs 7.76 crore nett during its complete theatrical run. It had opened with Rs 79 lakh nett and collected Rs 2.88 crore nett over its opening weekend.

Awarapan 2 sets new benchmark for Emraan Hashmi

Directed by Nitin Kakkar and produced by Vishesh Bhatt, Awarapan 2 brings Hashmi back as Shivam Pandit. The film also features Shabana Azmi, Disha Patani and Suvinder Vicky. Its opening has given Hashmi a substantial lead in the Independence Day box office clash.

For Sunny Deol, Batwara 1947 has recorded his lowest opening for a solo Deol film since Bhaiaji Superhit, which opened at around Rs 1 crore nett in 2018. His recent patriotic releases had started considerably higher, with Gadar 2 opening at Rs 40 crore nett and Border 2 beginning its theatrical run with Rs 32 crore nett.

Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, Batwara 1947 is set during the Partition and follows Deol as a Muslim man who migrates to Pakistan. After discovering a Hindu woman, played by Shabana Azmi, living upstairs in his home, he takes responsibility for protecting her while trying to keep his family safe amid the violence.

The film also marks Preity Zinta’s return to the big screen after nearly a decade and features the first on-screen collaboration between Sunny Deol and his son Karan Deol, who plays his son in the film. The cast also includes Ali Fazal, Abhimanyu Singh, Khushi Hajare and Kanikka Kapur.

Also Read: Awarapan 2 Review – Visually Rich but Creatively Bankrupt Action Romp