Azmi says 'Batwara 1947' underperformed because of Deol's Muslim role
Shabana Azmi, who stars in Batwara 1947, shared that the film's disappointing run was likely because viewers weren't comfortable seeing Sunny Deol as Sikandar Mirza, a Muslim character.
"The thing is that you cannot accept Sunny Deol as a Muslim," she said in a recent interview.
Audiences not ready for Partition drama
Azmi pointed out that actors like Amitabh Bachchan have played similar roles without backlash, but some people were confused by Deol's character being Pakistani.
The movie follows Mirza and his family fleeing Partition-era Meerut to Lahore, where they move into a haveli and find Mai (played by Azmi), an elderly Hindu woman waiting for her missing son.
Despite strong performances and a neutral take on India-Pakistan relations, Azmi feels audiences weren't ready for this kind of story.