Producer Vishesh Bhatt has revealed that distributors were initially unwilling to acquire Awarapan 2. As the Emraan Hashmi-led film enjoys a strong box-office opening, Bhatt said the producers financed the project themselves and stressed that audience support in theatres is crucial for films of this kind to continue being made.
Directed by Nitin Kakkar, Awarapan 2 hit theatres on August 14 and released alongside Sunny Deol’s Batwara 1947. The sequel to the 2007 film Awarapan once again features Hashmi as Shivam Pandit, with Shabana Azmi, Disha Patani and Suvinder Vicky also part of the cast.
Speaking to Zoom, Vishesh said audiences need to support films like Awarapan in theatres so filmmakers can understand that there is demand for such stories. He added that once he knows audiences are interested, he would be willing to invest his own money in making such films, but stressed that Awarapan 2 was not made as a cash-grab project.
He explained that the sequel directly continues the story established in the first film and said that if it had been intended purely to make money, distributors would have shown interest from the beginning and the producers would have already made a profit.
Bhatt said no distributor initially approached the makers to purchase the film, forcing them to invest their own money. He added that interest from the market increased once the film was completed, and that audience appreciation for movies like Awarapan could encourage filmmakers to make more of them.
MORE ABOUT THE FILM
The original Awarapan failed to perform strongly at the box office when it was released in 2007 but subsequently developed a cult following.
Awarapan 2 has received mixed-to-positive reviews, with Emraan Hashmi’s performance drawing particular appreciation. The story continues Shivam’s journey after he survives the six bullets fired at him in the first film.
In the sequel, Shivam rescues a baby named Aliyah and becomes emotionally attached to her. He later discovers through Interpol that she has been forced into a child trafficking network. Shivam then infiltrates Zorawar’s gang in an attempt to rescue her.
The film has enjoyed a strong box-office run, crossing the Rs 50 crore mark within two days and surpassing the lifetime collections of some of Hashmi’s earlier successful films, including Jannat and Murder.
According to trade website Sacnilk, the film collected Rs 33.75 crore nett in India on its second day from 10,496 shows. Its two-day India net collection stood at Rs 55.75 crore, while its India gross reached Rs 66.90 crore.
The film also earned an estimated Rs 3.50 crore overseas on Saturday, taking its overseas gross to around Rs 6 crore and its estimated worldwide gross to Rs 72.90 crore.
The strong performance has put Awarapan 2 ahead of Batwara 1947, while the film is also competing with Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
With its impressive opening, the sequel has already surpassed the overall earnings of the original Awarapan. The 2007 film opened to approximately Rs 79 lakh nett on its first day and collected around Rs 2.88 crore during its opening weekend, whereas Awarapan 2 earned Rs 21 crore on its opening day alone.
