- Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 leads early box office trends
- Awarapan 2 benefits from nostalgia and a loyal fanbase over Batwara 1947
- Trade analysts predict Awarapan 2 could earn twice Batwara 1947's opening day revenue
Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 and Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 are all set to clash at the box office on August 14.
Going by the early trends, Awarapan 2 appears to have the upper hand. The sequel arrives with the nostalgia of Emraan Hashmi's much-loved 2007 film Awarapan, while Batwara 1947 banks on Sunny Deol's strong connect with mass and family audiences.
Awarapan 2 Has The Early Edge
Trade analyst Ramesh Bala told NDTV that Awarapan 2 currently has the advantage in the opening 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 added that while Awarapan 2 has nostalgia and a dedicated fanbase working in its favour, Batwara 1947 has Sunny Deol's mass appeal.
"Awarapan 2 has nostalgia and a loyal fanbase on its side, while Batwara 1947 carries Sunny Deol's formidable pull among mass audiences. Emraan Hashmi's film could take the early lead, but Independence Day is a strong corridor for both. This is one clash where the opening may grab headlines, but word of mouth will crown the real winner," he said.
Advance Booking Numbers Favour Emraan Hashmi
The early advance booking figures also paint a favourable picture for Awarapan 2.
"The first round of the Independence Day clash clearly belongs to Awarapan 2. With nearly 68,000 tickets sold and ₹2.20 crore in advance sales, Emraan Hashmi's film is comfortably ahead of Batwara 1947 at around 37,600 tickets. That's an 81% lead in ticket sales - a strong indication of the nostalgia and anticipation surrounding Awarapan 2," Bala said.
He further pointed out that the gap gives Awarapan 2 a stronger platform going into its opening day.
"Awarapan 2 is setting the pace before release, with 68,000 tickets sold compared to Batwara 1947's 37,600. That near 2:1 advantage gives Emraan Hashmi the stronger opening-day platform, while Sunny Deol will need a significant surge in walk-ins to narrow the gap," he concluded.
Trade Predicts Awarapan 2 To Win The Opening Weekend
Trade analyst Sumit Kadel is also backing Awarapan 2 to emerge ahead in the opening battle. He told NDTV that Emraan Hashmi's film could collect nearly twice as much as Batwara 1947 on its opening day and over the weekend.
"As far as the opening day and weekend collections are concerned, Awarapan 2 is likely to defeat Batwara 1947 by a 2X margin," Kadel said.
"I am expecting Awarapan 2 to collect ₹13-16 crore net on Friday, with the potential to touch ₹20 crore if it gets better showcasing at single screens. The weekend could be ₹50-60 crore minimum. Batwara 1947, meanwhile, is likely to open in the vicinity of ₹7-9 crore net," he added.
Kadel also highlighted the difference in advance sales at the national chains.
"The advance sale of Awarapan 2 is quite strong. As we speak, the film has sold roughly 35,000 tickets across PVR INOX and Cinepolis, while Batwara 1947 has sold merely 8,000 tickets across the national chains," he said.
He expects the gap to widen further before release.
"The final advance for Awarapan 2 at national chain plexes could close around 1-1.30 lakh tickets, while Batwara 1947 is likely to wrap up under 35,000 tickets," Kadel concluded.
For now, the numbers suggest that Awarapan 2 is walking into the Independence Day weekend with stronger momentum.
