Sunny Deol and director Rajkumar Santoshi are back together after nearly three decades with their new period drama Batwara 1947. The film tells the story of a Muslim family in Lahore who protect an elderly Hindu woman during the Partition. In today’s political climate, showing Pakistani characters as regular people instead of villains is rare in Hindi cinema. But Deol says the team never thought about the political situation while making the film.
The Film That Shows Humanity Beyond Borders
Set against the backdrop of India’s Partition in 1947, Batwara 1947 follows a Muhajir family that moves to Lahore and settles in an abandoned Hindu house. Their lives take an unexpected turn when they discover an elderly Hindu woman, played by Shabana Azmi, living upstairs who refuses to leave the home where she spent her life. Her decision leads to emotional and difficult moments that form the heart of the film.
The film is based on Asghar Wajahat’s acclaimed play Jis Lahore Nai Dekhya, O Jamyai Nai. It was previously titled Lahore 1947 before the makers changed it to Batwara 1947.
Speaking about the film, Sunny Deol shared that the story is essentially a love story at its core. He explained that the film explores how Partition impacted families and highlights that humanity is the biggest religion.
“Basically, it was a love story. It was a very important love story. This film is about a family who have come from there to here and here to there. It is about the impact on the family. It is about how humanity is the biggest religion.”
Why ‘Batwara 1947’ Doesn’t Take Sides
In most cross-border stories these days, filmmakers pick a side and draw clear lines between the protagonist and antagonist. But Batwara 1947 takes a middle path by showing humanity in people from both sides.
Director Rajkumar Santoshi explained that the story was never about giving a message. He said the focus was always on making an engaging and emotional film that stays with the audience.
“This is an emotional story. What will stay with you are the characters. The story doesn’t see Hindu or Muslim. The characters see human beings.”
Sunny Deol added that the team wasn’t trying to neutralise anything. They simply brought the characters to life as they were written. He said the film makes you realise what Partition was and how important it is to stand strong against all odds.
Sunny Deol’s Take on Pakistan: ‘India is Mother, Pakistan is Aunt’
During a promotional event in Patna on August 2, a journalist asked Sunny Deol about his views on Pakistan. Instead of giving a political answer, the actor recalled his father Dharmendra’s famous words.
“We don’t talk about sentiments because the entire country was once one. As my father used to say – and as you all know very well – this (India) is my mother, and that (Pakistan) is my aunt. In a way, we are all connected somewhere or other.”
Sunny Deol also made it clear that the film was shot entirely in India, not in Pakistan.
The actor stressed that he prefers to stay away from political debates and focus on storytelling.
“I don’t want to delve too deep into all that because we are actors; we are makers. We choose stories, and we create stories. We don’t take them in a political direction, nor do we wish to.”
This statement is significant because Sunny Deol served as a BJP MP representing the Gurdaspur constituency from 2019 to 2024.
Social Media Reacts to Deol’s Comments
Sunny Deol’s remarks about Pakistan drew mixed reactions online. Some social media users criticised his comments, with a few even calling for a boycott of the film.
One user wrote, “They do not have any patriotism, all are same. They think only about money.” Another commented, “An actor who’s making such films, what do you expect from him? They only care about money!”
A third user posted, “These actors are all has-beens. They should’ve retired a long time ago.” Another comment read, “Boycott the movie. We were not going to watch it anyway.”
Despite the backlash, many also appreciated the actor’s balanced and non-political approach to the subject.
Sunny Deol on Humanising Pakistani Characters
When asked about the challenge of showing Pakistani people as ordinary humans in today’s political climate, Sunny Deol said they never thought about the environment or political situation while making the film.
He explained that the team heard the story back in 2010 and had been wanting to make it since then. The actor said they didn’t try to shape the film in any particular way to fit the current times.
“It is not as if we tried to keep it this way or that way. We will make what the subject is. We can’t change that.”
Sunny Deol also addressed comparisons with his blockbuster film Gadar. He explained that Gadar was a love story set during Partition, while Batwara 1947 focuses on families uprooted from their homes and the trauma of migration.
The Mother Figure at the Heart of the Story
Sunny Deol described the film’s core message as being about a mother figure. He said Shabana Azmi plays this character, who is the emotional centre of the story.
“The film revolves around a motherly figure. The core message is that a mother is a religion in herself, and there is nothing greater than her. The biggest religion is humanity. That is the core of this film.”
The actor shared that stories about Partition told by his grandparents during his childhood left a lasting impression on him.
“There was fear in those stories, but they also spoke of people helping one another. Those stories stayed with me.”
Star-Studded Cast and Crew
Batwara 1947 features an impressive ensemble cast. Along with Sunny Deol, the film stars Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Karan Deol (Sunny’s real-life son), Ali Fazal, Abhimanyu Singh, Khushi Hajare, and Kanikka Kapur.
The film marks the reunion of Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta, who last worked together in The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003).
Behind the camera, the film brings together some of the biggest names in Indian cinema. A.R. Rahman has composed the music, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar. Santosh Sivan handled the cinematography, while Resul Pookutty worked on sound design.
The film is produced by Aamir Khan and Aparna Purohit under Aamir Khan Productions.
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Censor Board Clearance and Release Date
Batwara 1947 received its certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on July 23. The board cleared the historical drama without any cuts and gave it an Adults Only (A) certificate. The film has a runtime of 145.34 minutes, which is approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes.
Batwara 1947 is scheduled to release in theatres worldwide on August 14, 2026. The film will clash with Emraan Hashmi’s Awarapan 2 at the box office.
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