Emraan Hashmi-starrer Awarapan 2 appears to have gained an early advantage over Sunny Deol’s Batwara 1947 ahead of their box-office clash on Aug. 14.
The two films are set to release on the eve of India’s Independence Day. Early booking trends show Awarapan 2 leading the race, helped by nostalgia surrounding Hashmi’s popular 2007 film Awarapan and his strong fan following.
Meanwhile, Batwara 1947 is relying on Sunny Deol’s established appeal among mass and family audiences.
Trade analyst Ramesh Bala told NDTV that Awarapan 2 currently has the upper hand in the opening-day battle.
“Awarapan 2 has the edge in the opening battle, thanks to strong nostalgia and Emraan Hashmi’s cult following. But Batwara 1947 could score big with the mass and family audience. Ultimately, word of mouth will decide the Independence Day winner,” Bala said.
He said the sequel has nostalgia and a loyal fan base working in its favour, while Batwara 1947 benefits from Deol’s strong mass appeal.
According to early advance-booking figures, Awarapan 2 has sold nearly 68,000 tickets and generated about ₹2.20 crore in advance sales, compared with around 37,600 tickets for Batwara 1947.
Bala said the difference represents an 81% lead in ticket sales for Awarapan 2, reflecting the anticipation surrounding the film.
“The first round of the Independence Day clash clearly belongs to Awarapan 2,” he said, adding that the stronger advance booking gives the Hashmi-starrer a better platform heading into its opening day.
He said Awarapan 2 is setting the pace before release, with advance ticket sales almost twice those of Batwara 1947. Sunny Deol’s film, however, could narrow the gap through stronger walk-in audiences.
Trade analyst Sumit Kadel also expects Awarapan 2 to lead the opening battle. He told NDTV that the Emraan Hashmi film could earn nearly twice as much as Batwara 1947 on its opening day and over the weekend.
However, the final winner of the Independence Day box-office clash is expected to depend largely on audience response and word of mouth.