Sunny Deol starrer Batwara 1947 has struggled at the Indian box office after opening in theatres on August 14. Despite having a strong cast, a well known production banner and considerable pre release attention, the Partition drama has failed to meet the expectations surrounding its release.
The film faced another difficult day on its second Friday. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Batwara 1947 earned only ₹75 lakhs net at the domestic box office on Day 8. This was a 44.4% drop compared with its Day 7 collection of ₹1.35 crore.
With the latest numbers, the film’s total India net collection has reached ₹34.35 crore, while its India gross collection stands at ₹40.77 crore. The film has struggled to maintain audience interest as it enters its second week, and its weekend prospects now appear limited.
The overseas performance has also remained modest. Batwara 1947 earned ₹50 lakhs overseas on Day 8, taking its total overseas gross collection to ₹8.25 crore. Its worldwide gross collection currently stands at ₹49.02 crore.
The film was screened across 3,211 shows on its eighth day and recorded an overall occupancy of 11.39%. Morning shows recorded 3.46% occupancy, which increased to 8.15% during the afternoon. Occupancy then stood at 7.92% in the evening before reaching its highest level of 18.23% during the night shows.
Batwara 1947 is set against the backdrop of the 1947 Partition. The story follows Sikandar Mirza, played by Sunny Deol, who moves to Pakistan with his family. After arriving there, he discovers that a Hindu woman is living upstairs and refuses to leave her home.
As tensions rise around them, Sikandar finds himself trying to protect the woman while also keeping his own family safe. The story focuses on the difficult choices faced by people caught in the violence and uncertainty surrounding Partition.
The film is backed by Aamir Khan Productions and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. Along with Sunny Deol, the cast includes Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal, Abhimanyu Singh, Karan Deol and Kanikka Kapur in important roles.
With Day 8 collections falling below ₹1 crore, Batwara 1947 now faces a tough second weekend at the box office.