Batwara 1947 vs Awarapan 2: Emraan Hashmi's sequel takes the cake over Sunny Deol's partition drama, see netizens review

Two different genres are fighting at the box office on this Independence Day weekend. Both Emraan Hashmi's and Sunny Deol's respective films are Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947. As early shows of the films are over, social media is buzzing with fresh reviews from the audience. So, which one is the best?

Awarapan 2 trend across social media: What netizens are saying?

Going by Emraan Hashmi fans on X, Awarapan 2 has emerged as the clear winner. Even film business experts and critics have been generous towards Hashmi's film, which follows the story of Shivam Pandit from the 2007 film.

A user took to the micro-blogging platform and wrote about Awarapan 2, “A powerful and emotional cinematic experience! The story, performances, music, and overall atmosphere make Awarapan 2 a deeply engaging watch. A perfect blend of emotion, action, and intensity.”

“Just finished Awaarapan 2. I feel it’s a fine piece of nostalgia bait that knows exactly what worked the first time and sticks to it. Nothing too ambitious, but it’s action packed, largely melodramatic. Emraan Hashmi finally gets a heroic event movie that feels worthy of him,” added another.

Letter from Emraan Hashmi fan

A fan dedicated a post to the lead actor, saying, “Bhai I waited years for this moment… and today, I finally lived it…There were tears in my eyes, a smile on my face, and a heart full of gratitude when #EmraanHashmi appeared on screen.#Awarapan was never just a movie for me. It was an emotion, a feeling that stayed in my heart for years. Today, watching #Awarapan2 on the big screen brought back every memory, every song, every emotion.”

Taran Adarsh reviews

Trade analyst and insider Taran Adarsh gave the film a 4 out of 5 rating. In his detailed review, he dubbed Hashmi as the ‘soul’ of the film and wrote, “#EmraanHashmi returns as #ShivamPandit, and what a return it is... He is the SOUL of #Awarapan2... Mass-appealing moments + tremendous nostalgia value... SURE-SHOT SUCCESS. #Awarapan2Review.”

“#Awarapan [2007], the first instalment, has developed a cult status over the years... Matching those expectations is no easy task, especially since the magic created by #EmraanHashmi, director #MohitSuri, and #VisheshFilms remains strong to date. What stands out most about #Awarapan2 is Shivam's story – this time, his bond with a child takes centre stage... The narrative takes a completely different path, with action pieces generously sprinkled across the proceedings.”

Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947

On the other hand, Batwara 1947 left a deep impact on the hearts of the audience ahead of 15th August.

After allegedly watching the Sunny Deol-starrer, a user called it a “masterpiece.” “#Batwara1947 Must watch movie. Powerful storytelling of emotions, humanity during the partition period. Such a beautiful movie,” posted the same person.

“Sunny Deol is excellent”

Detailing the film by Rajkummar Santoshi, one more reviewed: “Batwara highlights the pain of partition to some extent, how an average Muslim family who was happy with India’s Independence have to left everything and shift to other side of border due to communal violence. Some sequences are bone-chilling, but this movie lags in pacing. The screenplay is not good, whenever you feel the movie is gripping it starts losing its pace. The sad part is movie tries to focus on an agenda which is nowhere close to reality and will create controversy, rather than focusing on pain of partition it bends its motive to a Propaganda narrative. Sunny Deol is good, Pretty Zinta is decent, Karan Deol is not suitable for this role. Overall movie till interval is good. You can feel the emotions at many places, Sunny Deol is excellent. Full review out soon.”

“Didn’t expect #Batwara1947 to stay with me this much after the film ended. I went in expecting the usual Sunny Deol power moments, but the scenes I’m still thinking about are the quieter ones. Sikandar slowly beginning to see Mai as his own mother is beautifully done. Sunny’s eyes do most of the work there,” Someone else praised the film.

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The final winner between Batwara 1947 and Awarapan 2 will become clearer once their box office collections are revealed after Day 1. Both films are expected to see a boost in theatrical footfall over the festive weekend.