Vivek Agnihotri’s much-anticipated political thriller The Bengal Files is already making waves overseas, even before its theatrical release in India on September 5, 2025. The third and final installment in his The Files trilogy, the film revisits the turbulent events of 1946 Bengal, including the Great Calcutta Killings, Direct Action Day, and the Noakhali riots, sparking strong reactions from international audiences who have described it as intense, hard-hitting, and emotionally charged.
International viewers share intense reactions
As Indian audiences await its theatrical release, international viewers who have already seen the film are sharing their reactions online, describing the experience as intense and emotionally charged.
One user wrote, ‘A must see, show it to your Young Adult Children. Bengal Files is a hard-hitting, gut-wrenching portrayal of the forgotten Hindu genocide in eastern India. It exposes centuries of relentless persecution—over 1,400 years—culminating in the horrors faced during and after the Muslim invasions. This is not just a film; it’s a wake-up call to remember a history that has been silenced for too long. Tragically, this is not only history—the same Hindu genocide continues today, with atrocities as recent as March 2025 in Murshidabad, West Bengal. It is a chilling reminder that these patterns of violence are not confined to one place—they echo across the world in various cities.’
Another one added, ‘gripping film which shows the horrors that Bengali Hindus went through. Must watch for all Indians to make sure we never let history repeat itself. Hats off to Vivek Agnihotri!’
Saswata Chatterjee stirs controversy
Actor Saswata Chatterjee, who plays the antagonist in The Bengal Files, recently created a stir by admitting he was unaware of the film’s title change from The Delhi Files. He revealed that while he was briefed on his role, the complete storyline was never shared with him. When asked why he signed on, Saswata said the rare opportunity to play a powerful villain attracted him. In contrast, during an episode of The Right Angle with Sonal Kalra, director Vivek Agnihotri claimed that Saswata was fully aware of the film’s plot. Agnihotri also acknowledged why some Bengali artists might prefer to distance themselves from the project.The film stars Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar, Simrat Kaur, and Namoshi Chakraborty. The film seeks to revisit a chapter of modern Indian history that continues to be highly contentious.