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Veteran Bollywood actor Shabana Azmi has spoken out regarding the disappointing box office performance of the period drama Batwara 1947, offering her insights into why the high-budget film struggled to attract audiences. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and backed by Aamir Khan Productions, the Partition drama opened in theatres alongside Emraan Hashmi’s hit sequel Awarapan 2 but managed to collect just over ₹53 crore worldwide despite high expectations. In a candid interview, Shabana Azmi—who plays a key role as an elderly Hindu woman living in Lahore—expressed her surprise at the film’s cold commercial reception. She pointed out that while many people who watched the movie praised its emotional story and message of humanity, a vast majority of audience members either avoided theatres or walked out with confused reactions.
Addressing the core reason behind the film’s failure, Shabana suggested that audiences simply could not digest action icon Sunny Deol playing an Indian Muslim hero named Sikandar Mirza. She drew a sharp comparison to superstar Amitabh Bachchan, noting how audiences historically accepted him playing iconic Muslim characters in hits like Coolie and sporting the auspicious number 786 in Deewaar. Questioning whether changing social environments have influenced viewer mindsets, she stated that it has become increasingly difficult to explore sensitive subjects like India-Pakistan relationships in today’s setup, even when a film is completely balanced and politically correct. She also added that many viewers mistakenly believed Sunny Deol was portraying a Pakistani character, revealing a widespread misunderstanding of the storyline among the public.
The project, which marked the long-awaited reunion of Sunny Deol and director Rajkumar Santoshi alongside Preity Zinta, had been a dream concept for over 15 years. Director Santoshi previously admitted that casting Sunny Deol as a courageous Muslim protagonist standing up against fanaticism was seen as a massive commercial risk by industry insiders who expected the star to stick to patriotic action roles. Despite the makers’ strong belief in the script and Deol’s powerful performance, the film’s inability to cross the ₹55 crore mark has highlighted changing audience preferences and casting perceptions in modern Indian cinema.
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