'Awarapan 2' Outperforms 'Batwara 1947' In Opening Weekend As Emraan Hashmi Wins Battle Against Sunny Deol
‘Awarapan 2’ is emerging as a major box-office success, while the road seems difficult for 'Batwara 1947'.
Aug 17, 2026 11:50 IST
Last Updated On
Aug 17, 2026 12:09 IST
Emraan Hashmi's 'Awarapan 2' has made a strong start at the box office, turning the nostalgia surrounding the 2007 cult favourite into a sizeable opening weekend. The Nitin Kakkar-directed sequel maintained momentum across its first three days and emerged ahead of Sunny Deol's 'Batwara 1947', which released on the same day. Released on August 14, 'Awarapan 2' opened to a solid response before benefiting significantly from the Independence Day holiday.
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The film's performance remained robust on Sunday, giving it an impressive three-day total and putting it in early contention among the better-performing Hindi releases of 2026. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, ‘Awarapan 2’ collected Rs 22 crore net in India on its opening day. The film then witnessed a substantial jump on Saturday, with its earnings rising to Rs 33.75 crore. The Independence Day holiday played a major role in driving theatre occupancy and giving the sequel additional momentum.
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The film followed that up with another healthy showing on Sunday, earning Rs 26 crore, taking its opening-weekend total to approximately Rs 81.75 crore in India.
On the other hand, 'Batwara 1947', starring Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta and produced by Aamir Khan, collected Rs 26.50 crore net in India during its first three days, according to Sacnilk.
The success of 'Awarapan 2' is particularly important to Emraan Hashmi. The original 'Awarapan', released in 2007, did not become a major theatrical success at the time but gradually acquired cult status, particularly because of its music and Emraan Hashmi's intense portrayal.
The film's reported budget of around Rs 45 crore also makes the early box-office numbers encouraging. However, its eventual verdict will depend on how well it holds up after the opening weekend and whether it can maintain momentum on weekdays.
Directed by Nitin Kakkar, 'Awarapan 2' stars Emraan Hashmi alongside Disha Patani and Shabana Azmi. The cast also includes Puran Gabbi, Anirudh Rawal, Surender Vicky, Vijayant Kohli and Atul Kumar. The film is produced by Vishesh Bhatt under the Vishesh Films banner.
On the other hand, 'Batwara 1947' also stars Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal and Karan Deol. Both 'Awarapan 2' and 'Batwara 1947' have received mixed reviews and the Monday hold would be key to predicting their future at the ticket counters.
