'Awarapan 2' wins advance booking race against 'Batwara 1947'
What's the story
Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 has taken the lead over Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 in terms of advance bookings for their opening day, reported Sacnilk. The sequel to the cult film Awarapan (2007) has reportedly raked in around ₹8.57cr gross from advance bookings across three major multiplex chains. With blocked seats included, its total gross has crossed the ₹11cr mark.
Comparison
'Awarapan 2' is banking on nostalgic factor
The advance booking figures for Awarapan 2 are higher than those of several recent Hindi films, including Housefull 5, Shaitaan, and Raid 2.
The film has earned around ₹11.36cr from advance bookings alone.
Its success can be attributed to the return of Hashmi as his beloved character Shivam Pandit and the emotional connection that the original film has developed over the years.
Comparison
Deol's 'Batwara 1947' lags behind
On the other hand, Batwara 1947 has reportedly recorded lower advance booking figures on its opening day. The historical drama has registered an estimated ₹1.76cr in gross advance bookings for Day 1.
Including blocked seats, this figure has risen to an estimated ₹4.21cr.
This puts Batwara 1947 far behind Awarapan 2 in terms of reported pre-release bookings despite its star-studded cast including Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Karan Deol, Ali Fazal, and Abhimanyu Singh.
Competition
Competition from Hollywood films for both Bollywood movies
Both Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947 will also face competition from Hollywood films such as Anne Hathaway's The End of Oak Street.
The two Bollywood releases have another major challenge to contend with: Marvel's Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which has been running successfully in Indian cinemas since July 30.