Batwara 1947 collects Rs 30 cr in 4 days, recovery unlikely

Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 has slumped at the box office after a weak opening weekend. The partition drama, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, earned an estimated Rs 1.8-2.2 crore on its first Monday (August 17), a 72% drop from the previous day, according to Koimoi.com. The film's total domestic net collection in four days stands at Rs 28.5-30 crore, with overseas gross adding only Rs 10 crore. Its worldwide gross after three days was Rs 35.19 crore, against a budget of Rs 120 crore.

Koimoi reports the film needs Rs 53.53 crore more to reach Sunny Deol's fifth-highest-grossing film, Yamla Pagla Deewana (Rs 88.72 crore worldwide). For a hit verdict, Batwara 1947 would need a net collection of Rs 240 crore in India, a target now seen as impossible. Occupancy on Monday was only 11% across 6,700 shows. With budget recovery at barely 25%, the film faces a steep challenge to recover its investment.