‘Batwara 1947’: Rajkumar Santoshi hosts special screening for spiritual leaders across faiths

MUMBAI: Filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi hosted a special screening of his film ‘Batwara 1947’ for spiritual leaders from different faiths on Thursday evening.

Speaking after the screening, Santoshi said the film was first watched by his friend Omaji, who was deeply impressed.

“I have a friend, Omaji. He was one of the first people to watch the film, and he liked it very much. Then he spoke to Mufti Sahab and told him about the story of the film. Mufti Sahab became very emotional and was eager to watch it. So, he showed the film to him,” Santoshi said.

“He was very impressed by the film. He said, “This is a very important film. You have shown great courage in making such a film today,” he added.

In a world torn apart, their story was a testament to courage.
Meet the people who lived through it all
Batwara 1947, in theatres from 14th August. pic.twitter.com/4UigCvLJ3K

— Aamir Khan Productions (@AKPPL_Official) June 17, 2026

The Sunny Deol-starrer also struck an emotional chord with moviegoers in Mumbai, with many of them lauding its patriotic theme, Partition-era narrative and performances, especially those of Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, and Shabana Azmi.

Earlier, a moviegoer who watched the film described it as “very good, very emotional, and heart-touching”, saying the movie offered a glimpse into the hardships people endured during the Partition and Independence. “It felt great to see the reality of what people had to endure during the time of partition and independence. It’s a very good movie,” she said.

Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and produced under Aamir Khan Productions, ‘Batwara 1947’ stars Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Karan Deol, Ali Fazal and Abhimanyu Singh in key roles.

Set during the 1947 Partition, the film follows a family whose lives change as violence, fear and forced migration affect communities that had lived together. The film’s music has been composed by AR Rahman, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar. (ANI)