Awarapan 2 Dominates Batwara 1947 in Box Office Clash

The Independence Day box office clash between Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 and Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 has turned into a one-sided affair, with the former racing past the Rs 180 crore mark worldwide while the latter has crossed Rs 51 crore, according to figures reported by NewsX.

Based on the latest available data, Batwara 1947 earned Rs 1.15 crore India net on Day 9, taking its India net total to Rs 35.50 crore. With Rs 9 crore added from international markets, its total gross collection stands at Rs 51.12 crore. In contrast, Awarapan 2 has grossed Rs 180 crore internationally and Rs 100 crore in India, putting its worldwide collection at more than three-and-a-half times that of Batwara 1947.

The gap was evident from the start. By Day 5, Awarapan 2 had posted Rs 100.75 crore India net versus Rs 30.75 crore for Batwara 1947, as reported by NewsX. The combination of nostalgia from the 2007 original, the return of Hashmi, and curiosity in musicals helped the film get off to a bigger start, the outlet noted.

Awarapan 2's Rise to 5th Highest Grosser of 2026

Awarapan 2 has also become the 5th highest-grossing film of 2026, surpassing Akshay Kumar's Welcome To The Jungle, according to Bollywood Hungama. The sequel has accumulated Rs 133.58 crore, edging past the Rs 130.79 crore collected by Welcome To The Jungle. The achievement is notable given the contrasting journeys: Welcome To The Jungle arrived as a large-scale comedy franchise with a huge ensemble cast, while Awarapan 2 built its run on the emotional recall of a cult favourite and the renewed theatrical pull of Hashmi.

The film crossed the Rs 100 crore mark within its first week, underlining the consistency of its run rather than relying solely on a big opening, Bollywood Hungama reported. It has already emerged as Hashmi's biggest solo theatrical success, with the actor delivering a career-defining comeback.

With Awarapan 2 now at Rs 133.58 crore, only four films are ahead of it on the 2026 chart: Dhurandhar The Revenge at Rs 1,108.09 crore, Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Rs 490.50 crore, Border 2 at Rs 341.70 crore, and The Odyssey at Rs 183.55 crore, as per Bollywood Hungama. The next target is Bhooth Bangla at Rs 168.263 crore, requiring another Rs 34.683 crore to move into fourth position, with Dhamaal 4 at Rs 163.74 crore even closer.

Batwara 1947's Struggle and Director's Admission

Batwara 1947, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and featuring Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta, has struggled to close the gap. NewsX reported that Santoshi admitted people appreciated his rival's film, though the outlet did not provide the full context of his remarks. The film, a Partition drama marking the reunion of Deol and Santoshi after 30 years, failed to live up to audience expectations, according to Outlook India.

Outlook India reported that Awarapan 2 opened to mostly positive reviews and performed strongly, overpowering the Sunny-starrer. The outlet's figures show Awarapan 2's domestic net earnings at Rs 136.25 crore, with gross India collection at Rs 162.50 crore. The tenth-day receipts marked a 6.1% increase compared to Day 9's Rs 8.25 crore, with day-by-day earnings of Rs 9.24 crore on Day 4, Rs 9.75 crore on Day 5, Rs 6.75 crore on Day 6, Rs 6 crore on Day 7, and Rs 5.75 crore on Day 8.