Is Sunny Deol's Lahore 1947 Now Titled Batwara 1947?

Produced

by Aamir Khan, Lahore 1947 is due to release in Independence Day week this year. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, the film stars Sunny Deol. The story of the upcoming film deals with the Partition between India and Pakistan and now reports suggest that before its 2026 release, the makers are thinking of renaming the film from Lahore 1947 to Batwara 1947. The Hindi film is based on the play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai by Asghar Wajahat and the name change might just give audiences a clearer idea about the film's story. Here's what we know.

Lahore 1947 undergoing title change to Batwara 1947

According to reports in both Mid-Day and Bollywood Hungama, the period drama will likely be changed to Batwara 1947. A source also told Bollywood Hungama that the makers prefer the new title. However, all the stakeholders in the film have to agree on the change before anything official is announced. It may be changed in a few weeks as the film inches closer to release.

Written and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, Lahore 1947 is based on the 1989 play by Wajahat. It takes place during the Partition in Lahore and has been performed around the world in cities such as Karachi, New York, Dubai and yes, Lahore. Since the film is having a theatrical release on August 13, ahead of Independence Day, the new title may be more apt, considering the storyline of the film.

More about Lahore 1947

This is the first time that Sunny Deol and Aamir Khan are working together on a film. At IFFI 2025, Aamir had shared that before his death, late actor Dharmendra got a chance to see Sunny in the drama. Besides the Border 2 star, Lahore 1947 also features Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Karan Deol, Ali Fazal and Abhimanyu Singh. Producer Aamir is rumoured to have a supporting role in the film. Santosh Sivan is the cinematographer, while the music of the period drama is composed by AR Rahman. Shabana Azmi's husband Javed Akhtar is penning the lyrics.

Wajahat's play follows a Muslim family from Lucknow that moves to Lahore during the Partition. They are given a haveli, which a Hindu family abandons, or so they think. The family is shocked to find an old Hindu matriarch who refuses to leave her ancestral home. As they figure out their new living arrangements, the strangers bond in unexpected ways.