Sunny Deol’s Batwara 1947 and Emraan Hashmi starrer Awarapan 2 clashed at the theatres, on August 14. As the films complete their first week in theatres, Awarapan 2 has emerged as a clear winner of the box office clash, earning 3 times more than the Partition drama. According to Sacnilk, Batwara 1947 has collected Rs 39.87 crore in India after 7 days, while Emraan’s romantic drama has earned Rs 113.5 crore. Now, in a recent interview, Batwara 1947’s director Rajkumar Santoshi claimed that his film’s clash with Awarapan 2 didn’t affect its box office figures. He also opened up about Sunny playing a Muslim character in the movie.

‘I will congratulate them’

During a conversation with Money Control, Santoshi denied the rumours of the clash impacting the business of Batwara 1947. “Main mubarakbaad doonga (will congratulate them), I will say it again. Awarapan 2 has been liked, appreciated by the people and it is an excellent business. I really congratulate Emraan Hashmi, Mukesh Bhatt sahab, Vishesh Bhatt and his son. I congratulate the entire team of Awara 2,” he said.

‘Different challenge for Sunny Deol’

The director was also asked about whether Sunny Deol playing a Muslim character in Batwara 1947 might have impacted the film’s box office. “He is a very justified character. For Sunny, as an actor, it is a different challenge for him. He was very excited. We had thought about it. He has a very popular image from Border and Gadar. He is a strong character. He fights against the enemy territory, anti-Pakistan. But here he is playing a good Muslim Sikandar Mirza. He fights against fanaticism. He fights against it,” Rajkumar Santoshi reasoned.

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He further added that the difference was not a burden but an opportunity for him to present Sunny Deol in a fresh manner. The film also marks the reunion of director Rajkumar Santoshi and Sunny Deol after their past successful collaborations in Ghayal, Damini and Ghatak. Reflecting on the same, he expressed, “Hum achche dost hai. We are good friends. We have made three successful films together. But every film is different.”

Santoshi continued, “We were planning to make a separate film in 2008 we had been deciding to work on the film when I decided the subject. I told Sunny that we will do it. He liked it very much. I wanted it to be a mainstream film. Sunny is the number one star and most popular star today. I wanted it to reach people. That’s why I wanted a star like Sunny Deol to play this part. Besides, he is a fantastic actor. He does every role convincingly. That’s why I chose Sunny.”

Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947 box office

According to the industry tracker Sacnilk, Emraan’s sequel Awarapan 2 had a strong opening at the box office, at Rs 22 crore. On day 7, the film minted Rs 6 crore, taking its net domestic total to Rs 113.50 crore. The film successfully crossed the Rs 100 crore mark at the domestic box office, within 7 days. On the other hand, Batwara 1947 opened at Rs 5.75 crore on August 14. The film’s numbers have been witnessing a drop after the Independence day weekend. The Rajkumar Santoshi directorial collected Rs 1.35 crore net in India on day 7, taking the net earnings to Rs 39.87 crore.

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Besides Sunny Deol, Batwara 1947 also stars Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal, Abhimanyu Singh, Khushi Hajare and Kanikka Kapur. It has been produced by Aamir Khan’s banner Aamir Khan Productions.