Shabana Azmi Reacts to ‘Batwara 1947’ Box Office Struggle, Says ‘You Cannot Accept Sunny Deol as a Muslim’: ‘How Do We Understand This?’

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi has shared her thoughts on the underwhelming box office performance of Batwara 1947, offering an unexpected explanation for why the Sunny Deol-starrer may not have connected with a wider audience.

Speaking to Zoom, Shabana said she was surprised by the reactions surrounding the film and wondered whether a section of viewers was unable to accept Sunny Deol portraying a Muslim character.

“The thing is that you cannot accept Sunny Deol as a Muslim,” Shabana said, while drawing a comparison with Amitabh Bachchan, who played Muslim characters and appeared with Islamic cultural references in several films during his career.

She cited films such as Coolie and Deewaar, recalling how Bachchan’s association with the number 786 in the latter became one of the film’s memorable elements and was widely accepted by audiences.

Shabana questioned why the response appears different today, saying she finds it difficult to understand whether changing social perceptions are influencing how certain characters and stories are received.

Shabana Azmi Says Viewers Mistook Sunny Deol’s Character for a Pakistani

According to Shabana Azmi, another surprising aspect of the reaction is that some viewers apparently believe Sunny Deol is portraying a Pakistani character in the film.

She stressed that this is not the case.

“I am surprised at how people are reacting to it. Even the ones who have watched the film think Sunny Deol is playing a Pakistani. He is not. It is simply not registering in their heads,” she said.

Her remarks highlight what she sees as a disconnect between the story presented on screen and the way some viewers have interpreted the character.

‘If Both Religions Are Not Liking the Film…’

Shabana also addressed criticism surrounding the film from across the border. She referred to objections reportedly raised by Pakistani actor Bushra Ahmed over the Punjabi dialect spoken by the film’s antagonist.

For Shabana, criticism coming from different quarters has only made the response to Batwara 1947 harder to understand.

“If both religions are not liking the film, it means it is something which is pure and beautiful,” she said.

The actress believes stories involving India, Pakistan and Partition have become increasingly challenging to explore because of the sensitivities attached to the subject.

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“The problem is that you cannot touch the subject of Hindustan and Pakistan in this setup, which is very disappointing,” Shabana said, defending the film and Sunny Deol’s performance.

She added that Batwara 1947 is not politically inappropriate and argued that it is difficult to find fault with the film on those grounds.

Praise From Viewers Leaves Shabana Azmi Surprised

What makes the film’s box office journey even more puzzling for Shabana is the response she says she has personally received from people who have watched it.

The actress pointed to an apparent contradiction: while the film has struggled commercially, she continues to hear positive feedback about it.

“It is very surprising and also contradictory that when I meet people, why are they praising the film so much?” she said.

Her comments underline the familiar gap that can sometimes emerge between audience appreciation and commercial performance, particularly for films dealing with historical or politically sensitive subjects.

What Is ‘Batwara 1947’ About?

Directed and co-written by Rajkumar Santoshi, Batwara 1947 is a period drama unfolding against the backdrop of Lahore during the Partition of India and the division of Punjab in 1947.

The film has been produced by Aamir Khan under Aamir Khan Productions and features an ensemble cast led by Sunny Deol and Shabana Azmi.

The cast also includes Preity Zinta, Karan Deol, Ali Fazal, Abhimanyu Singh, Khushi Hajare, Kanikka Kapur and Isha Sandhir.

The movie is based on Asghar Wajahat’s acclaimed play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai, a story rooted in the human consequences of Partition.

Batwara 1947 is also notable for marking Preity Zinta’s return to the big screen after an eight-year break.

While its theatrical performance may have fallen short of expectations, Shabana Azmi’s remarks have now opened a wider conversation around audience perceptions, religious identity on screen and whether stories about India-Pakistan relations have become more difficult for mainstream Hindi cinema to navigate.