Emraan Hashmi’s Awarapan 2 is releasing in cinemas this Independence Day weekend, in a direct clash with Sunny Deol’s Batwara 1947. The Nitin Kakkar-directed romantic drama has generated a good pre-release buzz among the audience, which is reflected in its advance sales, too. For the record, the Emraan Hashmi film started trending on BookMyShow even with limited show listings.
As of 5 PM (Tuesday, August 11), Awarapan 2 sold around 13,000 tickets in the top national chains, PVR Inox and Cinepolis, while Batwara 1947 could record 2000 admissions. A similar difference can be seen in other chains too.
However, despite audience demand being firmly in its favour, the film is facing a major challenge on the exhibition front. India’s largest multiplex chain, PVR Inox, is the distributor of its rival release, Batwara 1947, an Aamir Khan production venture. So far, the Sunny Deol starrer is lagging far behind the advances of Awarapan 2, yet it has been allocated a disproportionately high number of shows and seats across the chain.
The showcasing pattern has become a major talking point within the trade, with many believing that audience demand is not being reflected in screen allocation. There are also concerns that PVRInox has adopted an aggressive programming strategy in favour of its own distribution title, particularly in single-screen properties operated by the chain, thereby limiting opportunities for Awarapan 2.
This reminds of Diwali 2017 when it was another Aamir Khan Production film, Secret Superstar, which won the showcasing battle against a much bigger film that was Golmaal Again. Secret Superstar managed to get a huge amount of showcasing for the film it was, leaving Golmaal Again short of its potential. Ultimately, shows can do only so much if there is no audience interest. Eventually, Golmaal Again had the bigger box office, and the showcasing adjusted itself.
Awarapan 2 will be hoping for that, but it may lose the prime Independence Day holiday if it’s too late. If the Vishesh Films’ production venture falls short of the big opening that its advance bookings suggest, showcasing could emerge as one of the defining factors.
The onus is now on Pen Marudhar, the distributor of Awarapan 2, to negotiate stronger showcasing across exhibition chains and ensure that the film’s release footprint accurately reflects the demand it has generated among audiences.
Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.
Disclaimer: The box office figures, opening-day forecasts, and lifetime collection projections mentioned in this article are subjective trade estimates compiled from various commercial parameters, advance booking trends, and market sentiment. These are purely analytical tracking figures and do not constitute actual, finalised collections or certified accounting statements. Pinkvilla does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, regarding the pinpoint accuracy or completeness of these projections. No statement in this article is intended to defame, harm, or malign any individual, production house, artist, or commercial entity involved in the making of the film.
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