Batwara 1947 failed as people couldn’t accept Sunny Deol as a Muslim: Shabana Azmi

Batwara 1947, a 1947-set film starring Sunny Deol, has performed poorly at the box office, earning only Rs 53 crore so far, while Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 grossed over Rs 200 crore on its release date. Actor Shabana Azmi, who plays a significant role in Batwara 1947, expressed her surprise at the film's underwhelming performance and audience reception.

She hypothesized that people may struggle to accept Sunny Deol playing a Muslim character, drawing a contrast to Amitabh Bachchan's successful portrayal of Muslim characters in films like Coolie, Deewaar, and Deewar. Azmi praised the film's message and its political correctness, but noted that people were confused by Sunny Deol's portrayal of a Muslim character.

The film, which also starred Preity Zinta, was made on a budget of Rs 120-150 crore and marked the reunion of Sunny Deol and director Rajkumar Santoshi, as well as Zinta's return to the big screen after an eight-year hiatus. Despite these factors, Batwara 1947 failed to resonate with viewers, leading to mixed reactions and a disappointing box-office tally.