Vivek Agnihotri clarifies reasons for renaming The Bengal Files: 'People thought it was about Sikh Genocide or 2020 Delhi Riots'
Vivek Agnihotri's directorial The Bengal Files will be released in cinemas on September 5. The film was earlier named The Delhi Files: The Bengal Chapter.
Vivek Agnihotri, Still from The Bengal Files trailer
Last Updated: 05.17 PM, Aug 23, 2025
The Bengal Files: Right To Life is the third film in Vivek Agnihotri's 'Files Trilogy', which also includes The Kashmir Files and The Tashkent Files. Even before the release, the film has been at the center of attention as the trailer created quite a stir. The trailer launch event was stopped by the Kolkata Police, and it grabbed attention. The film, which was earlier titled The Delhi Files: The Bengal Chapter, was later changed to The Bengal Files. In a new interview, Vivek shared reasons why he had to change the title of the film.
Vivek Agnihotri on renaming The Bengal Files
Speaking to NDTV, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri opened up about the title change of his upcoming film from The Delhi Files: The Bengal Chapter to The Bengal Files. The director revealed that this decision was made to avoid confusion and better reflect the content of the movie.
Agnihotri explained, "Earlier, the film's name was The Delhi Files: The Bengal Chapter because initially we were making it in two parts, and I had even shot a significant portion of the second part. But when I started marketing and promoting the film in March and April this year, people began assuming that The Delhi Files was about the 1984 Sikh genocide or the 2020 Delhi riots, which was not the case."
He further added that in India, unlike Hollywood, people are not used to subtitles like The Bengal Chapter or This Chapter, That Chapter, so he released a video and asked his audience what the name should be, given that the theme was Bengal.
"I received lakhs of responses, and 99.9% of people wrote The Bengal Files. So we sat, thought about it, and announced the new name. Since then, people have not asked what the film is about," Vivek added.
About The Bengal Files
The Bengal Files is a 2025 Indian political drama film directed by Vivek Agnihotri, focusing on the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings and Noakhali riots. This narrative portrays these events as genocide, aiming to reveal historical facts that have been silenced or ignored.
The film's cast includes Darshan Kumar, Pallavi Joshi, Simrat Kaur, Mithun Chakraborty, and Anupam Kher, among others. The central story revolves around the violent aftermath of the Partition of India and the subsequent violence against Hindus.
Catch The Bengal Files in theaters on September 5, 2025.
FAQs
Q: What is the Bengal Files movie based on?
A: The Bengal Files portrays the communal violence that occurred in Bengal, specifically focusing on Direct Action Day (1946) and its aftermath. The film is based on the real-life events of the 1946 Calcutta killings, also known as the Great Calcutta Killings, and the subsequent violence that spread to other parts of the Bengal Presidency, including the Noakhali riots and Tipperah (Comilla).
FAQs
Q: Who directs The Bengal Files?
A: The Bengal Files is directed by Vivek Agnihotri.
Q: Are The Kashmir Files and The Bengal Files connected?
A: The Bengal Files: Right to Life, initially titled The Delhi Files: The Bengal Story, is the third story after Vivek Agnihotri's The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files. It follows a different storyline.