Actors Aamir Khan and Sunny Deol’s collaboration on reportedly came with its share of disagreements, with differences said to have emerged over the film’s business strategy and release plans. Aamir served as producer, while Sunny played the lead role of Sikandar Mirza.
The project, which brought the two actors together professionally after several years, faced multiple delays before reaching theatres. According to a report in Filmfare, the prolonged wait and differing views over the film’s commercial prospects created friction between the two.
OTT offer reportedly became a point of disagreement
The film, earlier titled Lahore 1947, went through several changes to its release schedule. Its release was initially planned for January 2025 before being moved to June and subsequently delayed again as some portions were reshot and Aamir explored different strategies for its release.
At the time, Sunny was coming off the success of Gadar 2, while his subsequent film Jaat also kept attention on his theatrical prospects. According to the report, an OTT platform had offered more than Rs 60 crore for the film’s digital rights.
“It was then, that a major OTT platform offered 60+ crores for the rights of Batwara 1947, which was called Lahore 1947 back then. Sunny and Aamir had a business agreement that Sunny would get 50 per cent share of the film’s profits. So a haul of Rs 60 crore was a business deal that Sunny was very excited about. But Aamir, was thinking of other avenues and aspects.”
Aamir was also overseeing the release strategy for Sitaare Zameen Par around the same period. The producer was reportedly considering a YouTube release and a possible pay-per-view or video-on-demand approach. He ultimately decided against the reported Rs 60 crore offer. Reportedly, Sunny was unhappy with the decision.
If those reported valuations are accurate, the difference represents a significant drop from the earlier offer. Since Sunny reportedly had a 50 per cent profit-sharing arrangement, the film’s commercial performance would have had a direct impact on his earnings.
Aamir and Sunny promoted the film together
While the two may have disagreed over business decisions, their professional conduct during the film’s release remained intact. Aamir and Sunny appeared together at promotional events and public appearances to support Batwara 1947.
The two also came together on Kaun Banega Crorepati, where they spoke about their long professional history.
Meanwhile, Batwara 1947 has received mixed reviews from critics and the audience. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, the film also stars Shabana Azmi, Preity Zinta, Abhimanyu Singh, Karan Deol and others.