Shabana Azmi has weighed in on the weak theatrical performance of Batwara 1947, and her reading of the audience response is strikingly direct. The veteran actor believes a section of viewers may not have been able to accept Sunny Deol in the role of a Muslim man, even though the film’s central message has drawn appreciation from those who connected with it.
The contrast has become central to the conversation around the film. Released on August 14, 2026, Batwara 1947 has earned Rs 53.96 crore so far, a disappointing result for a film that arrived with strong curiosity, a high-profile cast and the return of Preity Zinta to the big screen after several years.
Shabana Azmi On Why The Film May Have Missed Audiences
Speaking about the film’s underwhelming box office run, Azmi said, “Firstly, I am very surprised at the total box office disaster that Batwara 1947 has been because I am surrounded by people who come and tell me they have loved the film. They tell me that they loved the message. A lot of them feel that it is very important to speak about humanity in today’s environment. On the other hand, people didn’t go to the theatre and the ones who did, they walked out with confused reactions.”
She then addressed the casting issue head-on. “The thing is that you cannot accept Sunny Deol as a Muslim. In Coolie and in many other films, Amitabh Bachchan very comfortably played Muslim characters. In Deewaar, he put 786 and that was accepted. So how do we understand this? Are they creating an environment where such decisions are being taken on purpose? I am not able to understand.”
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Azmi also said many viewers seemed to be reading the character incorrectly. “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. Even Bushra Ahmed (Pakistani actor) objected to the film’s language. She said the Punjabi dialect used by the villain is not right. If both religions are not liking the film, it means it is something which is pure and beautiful.”
The Film And The Casting Debate
Batwara 1947 is directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and backed by Aamir Khan. The cast includes Sunny Deol, Shabana Azmi and Preity Zinta. Set during Partition, the film follows an Indian Muslim man caught in a moment of deep political and human fracture.
Santoshi had earlier acknowledged that the film’s subject, along with Deol playing Sikandar Mirza, was seen as a risky combination when the project was being developed. He said, “Nobody wants to hear the word Pakistan or a Muslim, and a Muslim protagonist, tauba tauba. And on top of that, Sunny playing the part was a shocker for most. He is a champion of Hindus; how can he play a Muslim? It will never work. He should go to Pakistan, beat them up; that was their idea. But we believed Sunny was the right person to get the message across.”
That is what gives Azmi’s comments added weight now. Her remarks arrive not as abstract commentary, but as a response to a film whose reception has exposed how sharply viewers remain divided over stories that deal with Partition, identity and religious belonging.
Shabana Azmi’s Recent And Upcoming Work
Azmi has continued to move between theatrical and streaming projects with notable consistency. In recent years, she featured in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani in 2023 and the Netflix series Dabba Cartel in 2025, before returning to theatres with Batwara 1947 and Awarapan 2 in August 2026.
Her response to the film’s performance now underlines the larger debate surrounding Batwara 1947. More than a routine box office disappointment, the film has sparked a conversation about casting, perception and whether audiences are willing to embrace a star like Sunny Deol in a role that pushes against his long-established screen image.
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