New Delhi . This week there is going to be a competition between two much awaited films at the Bollywood Box Office. Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 and Sunny Deol's Bantwara 1947 are going to be released in theaters on Friday, August 14. There is curiosity among the audience about both the films for different reasons and even before their release, their competition has started appearing in advance booking.
Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 is currently leading in the initial figures of advance booking. By the night of Tuesday, August 11, around 20,300 tickets of the film had been sold in the country's major multiplex chains. The estimated gross collection from these tickets was said to be around Rs 86 lakh.
In comparison, the advance booking of Sunny Deol's Bantwara 1947 was relatively slow. By the same period, around 4,900 tickets of the film had been sold and the estimated gross collection had reached around Rs 20 lakh. It is clear from the initial data that Awarapan 2 is currently ahead in terms of pre-release interest of the audience.
If blocked seats are also included, the estimated earnings of Awarapan 2 can reach around Rs 1.9 crore. For the partition of 1947, this figure has been estimated to be around Rs 88 lakh. However, these figures are not final box office earnings and changes in bookings are possible before release.
If the current trend continues till the release, then Awarapan 2 is expected to take an opening of around Rs 14 to 17 crore on the first day. On the other hand, the initial earnings of Partition 1947 are estimated to be in the range of Rs 8 to 10 crores. Actual business will depend on audience response, number of shows and pace of ticket sales.
Interestingly, despite lagging behind in advance booking, Bantwara 1947 seems to be gaining in terms of shows and screens in theatres. According to reports, Sunny Deol's film is getting more shows than Awarapan 2. This also paints a different picture between the box office performance of the two films.
Sunny Deol's popularity regarding Partition 1947 and the interest related to the story of the film can play an important role in its favor. Sunny Deol is continuously active in the promotion of the film, making efforts to increase its reach to the audience.
For Awarapan 2, along with the popularity of Emraan Hashmi, the nostalgia associated with the old film remains a big attraction. The songs and promotional materials of the film have also created a buzz among the audience. This is the reason why the film has received a strong response at the initial stage of advance booking.
Now the biggest question is whether the increase in advance booking will be converted into actual openings at the ticket window. Both the films still have time before their release and the pace of booking in the last two days may change the picture. In such a situation, the real strength of both the films will be revealed at the box office on 14th August.