look news india
This time on the long weekend of Independence Day in theatres, the audience is getting to see a mega-clash of two completely different genres. On one hand, there is Sunny Deol and director Rajkumar Santoshi’s much talked about period-drama film ‘Bantwara 1947’, which talks about patriotism and the pain of partition, while on the other hand, there is the emotional-action thriller ‘Awarapan 2’ which marks the return of Emraan Hashmi’s cult character ‘Shivam’. While on the first day of release, Emraan Hashmi’s film surprised everyone by taking a better start than the expectations, the wave of ‘Awarapan 2’ continued in the theaters on the second day as well. However, on the second day, taking advantage of the national holiday and positive word of mouth publicity, Sunny Deol’s ‘Bantwara 1947’ has also shown great improvement in its pace.
It is clear from the initial data of trade analysts and box office tracking portals that Saturday and Independence Day holiday proved to be a lifesaver for both the films, but in terms of overall earnings, Emraan Hashmi seems to have the upper hand over Sunny Paaji.
‘Awarapan 2’ a whirlwind at the box office: crosses Rs 50 crore in 2 days
The first ‘Awarapan’, released in 2007, may have failed at the box office at the time of its release, but it achieved a tremendous cult status on television and social media. After almost 19 years, when its sequel hit the big screen, the nostalgia of the audience flooded the ticket window.
After taking a historic net opening of around Rs 22 crore in India on the first day, ‘Awarapan 2’ further strengthened its hold on the second day. On the second day, evening and night shows at multiplexes and single screens across the country recorded housefuls with a massive occupancy of around 80 to 85 percent.
According to initial reports, the film made a nett business of over Rs 28 crore in India on its second day. With this, the total domestic net collection of 2 days of ‘Awarapan 2’ has crossed the milestone of Rs 50 crore. The film is also doing well in the international market, where it has collected an overseas gross collection of Rs 6 crore in 2 days. The worldwide gross collection of the film has now crossed Rs 72.90 crore. It is fast on its way to becoming the fastest and highest grossing blockbuster of Emraan Hashmi’s career.
Improvement in the pace of ‘Partition 1947’: Sunny Deol’s strength shown on the second day
Made under the banner of Aamir Khan Productions and inspired by Asghar Wajahat’s famous play ‘Jis Lahore Nayi Vekhya’, ‘Partition 1947’ had to face a slow start on the first day. On the first day, the film could earn only Rs 5.75 to 6.20 crore nett in India, which worried trade pundits.
However, on the second day, the positive reviews received regarding the content of the film and the strong acting of Sunny Deol-Shabana Azmi started attracting the audience to the theatres. Especially in the North Indian belt like Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana, the film saw a jump of more than 60 percent in afternoon and evening shows.
On the second day, ‘Bantwara 1947’ collected around Rs 9.50 to Rs 10.50 crore nett, which shows a direct growth of more than 70% compared to its first day. The film’s 2-day domestic net collection has reached around Rs 16.50 crore and the total worldwide gross collection has reached Rs 26.41 crore. However, considering the huge budget of Rs 120 to 150 crores, the film will have to maintain its strong momentum in the coming weekdays also.
Multiplex vs Single Screen: Whose magic works where?
The mood and geographical preferences of the audience of both the films seem to be quite interestingly divided.
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Loitering Domination 2: Young audiences and music lovers in major metro cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Kolkata as well as Tier-II cities have been attracted to ‘Awarapan 2’ in large numbers. The dark background of the film, action sequences and Imran’s chemistry with Disha Patani remain a hot topic among the youth.
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Partition 1947’s Family Audience Connect: Sunny Deol’s film is getting support from mature audience coming with family in single screens and mass centres. Preity Zinta’s return after a long time and her humanitarian approach towards India-Pakistan partition is being greatly appreciated by the elderly and family audience.
Shabana Azmi’s unique coincidence: creates magic in both the films
The most interesting aspect of this clash is the presence of veteran actress Shabana Azmi. She is seen in very important and influential roles in both these films. While in ‘Partition 1947’ she plays the emotional role of an elderly Hindu woman from Lahore who refuses to leave her home, in ‘Awarapan 2’ she is seen playing a strong and mysterious character of ‘Nafisa Nawaz’. Critics are praising his solid acting in both the films.
Road ahead: Both films eyeing Sunday’s figures
Trade experts believe that the third day (Sunday) of the extended Independence Day weekend will prove to be very decisive for both the films.
With the tremendous pace with which ‘Awarapan 2’ is progressing, there is every possibility of it touching the domestic net figure of Rs 80 crore in its first weekend itself. To secure its recovery, ‘Bantwara 1947’ will have to register at least a single-day collection of more than Rs 15 crore on Sunday, so that its screen sharing can be secured on normal working days starting from Monday.
This box office battle clearly shows that audiences are now buying tickets not just on star power or patriotic slogans, but on the novelty of content and emotional connect. While Emraan Hashmi has made a name for himself with his cult charm, Sunny Deol’s film is also trying its best to prove itself as a long-haul horse.