Emraan Hashmi has finally witnessed a major turnaround at the box office with Awarapan 2. The much-awaited sequel to the 2007 romantic action drama has opened strongly in theatres and is already rewriting the box office history of the franchise. Released on August 14, the film has delivered an impressive response from audiences on its opening day. According to preliminary data, Awarapan 2 is on track to become one of the greatest Bollywood openers of 2026 in addition to surpassing the lifetime profits of its predecessor in a matter of hours. Although Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 is a rival to the movie, the preliminary figures show that Awarapan 2 is winning at the ticket booths.
Awarapan 2 crosses first film's lifetime collection
The biggest talking point surrounding the opening is how quickly Awarapan 2 has overtaken the lifetime collection of the original Awarapan. The first movie, which was released in 2007, did not do well financially and finished its theatrical run with an estimated ₹7.76 crore. The sequel managed to cross that figure within just a few hours of its release. According to the early figures cited in the report, Awarapan 2 had already collected approximately ₹12.05 crore net by 6 PM on its first day. That means the sequel achieved in a single day what the original film took its entire theatrical run to earn.
Strong ticket sales driving the opening
The film's impressive start has been supported by strong advance and same-day ticket sales.According to reports, Awarapan 2 continued to move quickly on BookMyShow, selling over 20,000 tickets every hour on Friday. Such demand has helped the film maintain momentum throughout the opening day. The strong booking trend has also raised expectations for the film's final first-day numbers. The movie may end its opening day far higher than anticipated if the evening and nite showing continue to perform at a comparable rate. The response is particularly notable because the film does not feature a conventional current-generation superstar as its lead. Instead, the opening appears to be driven by Emraan Hashmi's popularity, nostalgia surrounding the original film and interest in the sequel.
Awarapan 2 could deliver Emraan Hashmi's biggest opening
The film is also on course to set a new opening-day record for Emraan Hashmi. Prior to Awarapan 2, Baadshaho reportedly made the most money on its first day in 2017roughly ₹12.60 crorefor Emraan. Raaz 2, which reportedly made ₹10.35 crore on its opening day in 2012, was another significant opening in his career. Based on the early pace, Awarapan 2 is expected to surpass both films and establish a new benchmark for Emraan Hashmi's opening-day performances. If the final first-day collection crosses the projected ₹20 crore mark, it would represent a significant comeback for the actor at the box office.
Why Awarapan 2 is getting such a strong response
One of the biggest factors behind the film's opening could be the popularity of the original Awarapan among Emraan Hashmi fans. Although the first film was not a commercial success during its theatrical release, it developed a strong following over the years. Its music, emotional storyline and Emraan's performance helped the film gain a cult-like reputation among a section of Bollywood audiences. The sequel's arrival has therefore generated curiosity among viewers who have been waiting to see the franchise return to the big screen. The film's music and promotional campaign have also helped create additional interest before release.
Competition with Batwara 1947
Awarapan 2 released on the same day as Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947, giving audiences two major Hindi releases to choose from. Despite the clash, early box office trends suggest that Awarapan 2 has made a stronger start. The coming days will reveal whether the film can maintain this advantage once the initial release-day excitement settles. Weekend performance will be particularly important because positive audience feedback could help the film register strong growth on Saturday and Sunday.
A major comeback opportunity for Emraan Hashmi
The opening of Awarapan 2 could become an important milestone in Emraan Hashmi's career. After years of inconsistent theatrical results, a strong performance by the sequel would give the actor a much-needed box office boost. More importantly, it would demonstrate that a franchise built around a film from nearly two decades ago can still attract audiences when there is strong nostalgia and demand. For now, Awarapan 2 has made an impressive start. With the film already crossing the original Awarapan's lifetime collection within hours, attention is now firmly on its final Day 1 number and how strongly it performs over the first weekend. If the current momentum continues, Awarapan 2 could finish its opening day as Emraan Hashmi's biggest box office opener yet and emerge as one of the notable Hindi film openings of 2026.
