The box office battle between Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 and Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 is already heating up ahead of their August 14 release.

And if the early advance booking numbers are anything to go by, Awarapan 2 currently has a clear advantage.

The two films are arriving on the same Independence Day weekend, but early ticket sales show that Emraan Hashmi's sequel is attracting considerably more advance interest than Sunny Deol's historical drama.

Awarapan 2 Takes a Big Lead in Advance Booking

According to trade analyst Ramesh Bala, Awarapan 2 had sold nearly 68,000 tickets, generating around ₹2.20 crore in advance sales.

By comparison, Batwara 1947 had sold around 37,600 tickets at the time of the report.

That puts Awarapan 2 roughly 81% ahead in ticket sales, giving the Emraan Hashmi film a considerably stronger position before its theatrical release.

The difference is being attributed partly to the nostalgia surrounding Awarapan, the 2007 film that developed a strong following over the years.

Batwara 1947, meanwhile, is expected to rely heavily on Sunny Deol's mass appeal and family audience.

Why Is Awarapan 2 Ahead of Batwara 1947?

Ramesh Bala believes the early advantage comes from the combination of nostalgia and Emraan Hashmi's cult following.

The original Awarapan has remained popular among a section of Bollywood audiences, and the sequel is benefiting from that familiarity ahead of its release.

However, Bala also pointed out that Batwara 1947 has its own advantage through Sunny Deol's strong connection with mass audiences.

The early numbers may therefore indicate which film has the stronger opening, but word of mouth could ultimately determine the winner of the Independence Day box office clash.

Awarapan 2 Is Also Leading at Major Cinema Chains

The gap becomes even more noticeable when advance sales at major national cinema chains are considered.

Trade analyst Sumit Kadel said Awarapan 2 had sold roughly 35,000 tickets across PVR INOX and Cinepolis, while Batwara 1947 had sold around 8,000 tickets across those chains.

Kadel expects the difference to increase further before the films hit theatres.

His estimate is that Awarapan 2 could finish its national-chain advance booking at around 1 lakh to 1.30 lakh tickets, while Batwara 1947 could finish below 35,000 tickets.

These figures are projections rather than final box office results.

Trade Predicts a Big Opening for Emraan Hashmi's Film

The early Awarapan 2 box office prediction is also looking strong.

Sumit Kadel expects Awarapan 2 to collect around ₹13–16 crore net on its opening day, with the possibility of reaching ₹20 crore if the film gets stronger showcasing at single-screen theatres.

For the opening weekend, he expects the film to collect ₹50–60 crore or more.

In comparison, his estimate for Batwara 1947 opening day collection is around ₹7–9 crore net.

Based on these estimates, Kadel believes Awarapan 2 could potentially earn close to twice as much as Batwara 1947 during the opening phase.

But Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 Still Has a Chance

Despite the early advantage for Awarapan 2, the box office clash is far from over.

Batwara 1947 has Sunny Deol, whose popularity with mass and family audiences could help the film perform strongly, particularly during the Independence Day holiday period.

The film's final performance will also depend on audience reactions once it releases.

As Ramesh Bala pointed out, advance booking can determine the initial momentum, but word of mouth can decide the longer box office run.

Awarapan 2 vs Batwara 1947: Who Has the Upper Hand?

At the moment, Awarapan 2 is clearly ahead in advance booking.

The film has sold approximately 68,000 tickets compared with Batwara 1947's 37,600, while its advance sales at national chains are also substantially stronger.

Trade estimates are similarly favouring Emraan Hashmi's film for the opening day and weekend.

However, these are pre-release trends and trade predictions, not final collections.

The real Awarapan 2 vs Batwara 1947 box office battle begins when both films release on August 14.

For now, though, the first round belongs to Awarapan 2.