Awarapan 2 beats Batwara 1947 in advance box office sales; leads with Rs 3.51 cr

With just two days left before the releases, advance booking numbers are beginning to offer an indication of how the two films are positioned ahead of their opening day.

Awarapan 2 leads advance booking

According to trade tracker Sacnilk, Awarapan 2 has so far grossed Rs 2.05 crore from advance bookings for its opening day, with 62,431 tickets sold across 3,684 shows. These figures do not include blocked seats. When blocked seats are included, the film’s gross advance booking collection rises to Rs 3.51 crore. Delhi-NCR is currently the film’s strongest-performing region, contributing Rs 51.44 lakh in ticket sales, excluding blocked seats. Mumbai follows with Rs 29.84 lakh, while Pune and Bengaluru have recorded Rs 8.85 lakh and Rs 7.18 lakh, respectively.

Trade veteran Taran Adarsh also believes Awarapan 2 currently has the upper hand. Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, he said, “Looking at the advance trend, Awarapan 2 definitely has an edge. Its ticket sales have been very good. The first part didn’t work even though it was a brilliant film. It was among Emraan’s best efforts. I remember talking to the Bhatts after the release of Awarapan. They were totally shaken and were wondering, ‘What happened?’”

Adarsh explained that although Awarapan did not perform strongly at the time of its theatrical release, it gradually developed a dedicated audience. “However, over time, the film cultivated a good fan base amongst viewers of all ages. Thankfully, we are now seeing its true potential, with people buying tickets in hordes. There’s a huge difference between the bookings of Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947 at present,” he said.

Batwara 1947 trails in advance sales

Batwara 1947, meanwhile, is currently behind Awarapan 2 in advance bookings. The film has grossed Rs 53.21 lakh from 18,109 tickets sold across 3,477 shows, excluding blocked seats. With blocked seats included, the figure rises to Rs 1.61 crore. Delhi-NCR has recorded the highest advance sales for the Sunny Deol-starrer at Rs 14.55 lakh, followed by Mumbai at Rs 7.28 lakh. Pune has contributed Rs 1.29 lakh, while Bengaluru has recorded Rs 54,910, with all figures excluding blocked seats.

Speaking to Bollywood Hungama about the film’s box office prospects, Roopbani Cinema owner Vishek Chauhan said: “Awarapan 2 has an edge and has sold more tickets than Batwara 1947. The main actors in Batwara 1947 are playing characters that are contrary to their established image. Sunny Deol has a hardcore nationalist image. This image was further bolstered by his revival film, Gadar 2 (2023), in which he plays a true patriot who goes to Pakistan to save his son. However, in Batwara 1947, he plays a Muslim who migrates to Pakistan. He has to leave India because it is no longer fit for him to live there due to his religion. It’ll be difficult for audiences to imagine him playing such a character because they associate him with a certain image.”

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He added, “Batwara 1947 will be a great film. There’s no doubt about it. But commercially, its standing is on very weak ground. This is a chief reason why the advances have been slow.”

Trade expects Awarapan 2 to open bigger

Distributor and exhibitor Raj Bansal has predicted an opening of Rs 8 crore to Rs 8.5 crore for Batwara 1947, while expecting Awarapan 2 to open at Rs 12.5 crore to Rs 13 crore. He also suggested, in a chat with Bollywood Hungama, that Awarapan 2 could potentially go higher. However, Adarsh cautioned against judging Batwara 1947 solely on the basis of advance bookings. According to him, spot bookings could significantly change the picture, particularly in mass centres where Sunny Deol has a strong following.

“It’s a bit too early to say. Spot bookings can really change the tide. This has happened in the recent past. The mass centres are driven by spot bookings,” Adarsh said. He added, “Advance booking can never be a barometer. Sunny Deol has a huge fan base in mass pockets. Hence, with the power of spot bookings, the film could jump to an impressive opening number.”