Vivek Agnihotri vs Saswata Chatterjee before The Bengal Files release? Filmmaker says 'In Bengal, the ruling party tells you what to tell'
The Bengal Files still has one month to release, but Vivek Agnihotri's film has been involved in various controversies, adding to Saswata Chatterjee's claim about being unaware of the film's story.
Last Updated: 06.28 PM, Aug 18, 2025
There are some films that get involved in controversies right from the time they are announced and are yet to be released. Such films are The Sabarmati Report, The Kashmir Files, and more. One such upcoming film is The Bengal Files: Right To Life. It is the third film in Vivek Agnihotri's 'Files Trilogy', which also includes The Kashmir Files and The Tashkent Files. After the trailer dropped, the film has garnered significant controversy surrounding its historical accuracy. Amid this, Saswata Chatterjee, who plays the antagonist in the film, admitted that he was not aware of the film's story and title change before. Following his statement, Vivek Agnihotri reacted and denied Saswata's claims of ignorance about the film's story.
Vivek Agnihotri reacts to Saswata Chatterjee's comment
In an interview with India Today, The Bengal Files director Vivek Agnihotri said Saswata Chatterjee is saying what the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress is asking him to say. "People tell what they are told to tell," he said while highlighting that even the initial title had "Bengal Chapter" mentioned, which was self-explanatory.
He explained that the events of the film and Chatterjee's character himself say a lot about the main story. "Chatterjee is playing a former MLA from Kolkata and the film is based in Bengal. It was called 'The Delhi Files: Bengal Chapter'. Saswata is playing a Bengali person. He is playing the MLA of Murshidabad. The entire film is set in Bengal. All the Bengali actors are in the film," he said.
The filmmaker also added that the title change was informed to everybody and when the posters came, they shared with all the actors, and everybody loved it. "But today if somebody is saying it, I have nothing to say. He is my fellow actor, one of the greatest actors of India. He has done a fabulous job, won a National Award for his performance but in Bengal, as I told you the ruling party tells you what to tell," Vivek said.
What did Saswata Chatterjee say?
Speaking to The Wall, Saswata Chatterjee said that while the shooting was going on, the name of the film was Delhi Files, and after the shooting was completed, he came to know that it was changed to The Bengal Files. "That is not in my hands," he said, and added that “making a noise" over the new title would not help those opposing it.
When asked about the possibility of the film not releasing in West Bengal, he said that nowadays, it's a trend; the whole story won't be told to anyone. "When I was told about the role [in 'The Bengal Files'], I found the character to be amazing. It's a villain's character and very few people get such characters to play," he said.
About The Bengal Files
The Bengal Files: Right To Life will show the real-life incidents of Direct Action Day, the 1946 Calcutta Killings, and the Noakhali riots. The Bengal Files features actors Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi. It will hit 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).
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.