Madras HC blocks Batwara 1947 piracy; day 2 earns Rs 13.5 cr

Madras High Court granted interim protection to Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947, ordering internet providers to block websites hosting pirated copies. Justice K. Surender passed the order on August 14, noting that delays could cause irrecoverable losses to rights holder Aamir Khan Productions. The next hearing is on September 11.

The film also showed strong recovery at the box office on its second day. After a slow opening of Rs 5.75 crore, it earned Rs 13.5 crore on Saturday, a 135% jump, taking its India net to Rs 19.25 crore. Worldwide gross reached Rs 26.41 crore, according to Sacnilk. The film clashed with Awarapan 2 and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Aamir Khan Productions will compensate any legitimate businesses affected by the blocking order. The film is directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and marks the return of Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta to the big screen.