The Bengal Files, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, is set to release on September 5, 2025. The film stars Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Anupam Kher, and Saswata Chatterjee.
It tells the story of the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings and the Noakhali riots, which are shown as acts of genocide. The movie mixes real historical events with drama to highlight incidents that many people may not know about.
What is the Real Story of The Bengal Files?
The film revisits one of Bengal’s most disturbed periods, shortly before India gained its freedom. The Great Calcutta Killings occurred in August 1946, and rioting in Noakhali followed shortly after. Many families had to leave their homes, and several people were killed.
Historians believe that these incidents served as a prelude to the extensive bloodshed that would later take place during partition. By highlighting these events, the film aims to portray a historically underrepresented feature.
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Is The Bengal Files Based on a True Story?
Yes, the movie is inspired by real events. It mainly covers the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings and the Noakhali riots, and presents these events as planned acts of violence, which many believe were not given enough attention.
However, since it is a film, some of the scenes are dramatized and may not be exactly the way things happened.
The Bengal Files Story is Based on
The story comes from eyewitness accounts, old records, and historical debates about the violence in Bengal. It shows the political tensions, community clashes, and the human suffering of that period.
While the base is real history, director Vivek Agnihotri has added dramatic elements to make it more engaging as a movie.
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Box Office Expectations
So far, bookings for The Bengal Files have been low, with collections of around ₹24 lakh a day before release. The film will also face competition from Tiger Shroff’s action movie Baaghi 4. Still, because of its serious subject and Agnihotri’s track record of making powerful films, it may perform well once audiences connect with it.
Controversies Around the Film
Even before its release, the film has been caught in controversies. In Kolkata, the trailer launch was stopped by the police because of licensing issues. On top of that, Santanu Mukherjee, grandson of freedom fighter Gopal Mukherjee, filed a case in the Calcutta High Court.
He said the movie wrongly shows his grandfather’s role in the riots and damages his family’s image. Director Vivek Agnihotri has claimed that there is political pressure, especially from the West Bengal government, to stop the film.
Is This Part of Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘Files’ Series?
Yes, The Bengal Files is the third film in Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘Files’ series. The first two were The Tashkent Files (2019) and The Kashmir Files (2022). All these films address delicate subjects from Indian history that are rarely brought up.
With The Bengal Files, Vivek Agnihotri focuses on the intercommunal violence of the 1940s and tries to challenge the usual way history is told.
