Batwara 1947 opens to mixed reviews and weak Rs 5 crore Day 1

Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi's Batwara 1947 earned only Rs 5 crore on its opening day, a weak start for a film of its scale. According to m9.news, trade feedback on August 15 suggested that many moviegoers expected stronger Pakistan bashing and felt uncomfortable with Deol playing a Muslim character. The outlet reported one trade note saying the film was "not acceptable for the Indian masses."

The film, which marks the reunion of Santoshi and Deol after three decades, is an adaptation of Asghar Wajahat's play 'Jis Lahore Nai Vekheya, O Jamya E Nai'. As reported by thefederal.com, the movie uses the Partition of India as a backdrop to argue against mixing politics with religion. It follows the story of a Muslim family forced to flee Lucknow and a Hindu matriarch left behind in her home in Lahore, with both families gradually embracing each other despite communal hostility.

While thefederal.com described the film as "deeply emotional" with a powerful message that "hatred never ends hatred", m9.news concluded that a section of the audience was looking for a "louder and more aggressive narrative." One trade expert summed up the reaction as "good film, wrong timing."