The Bengal Files provoked some heated debates. The lead actor and producer Pallavi Joshi accused co-actor Saswata Chatterjee of leaving the film due to political pressures. Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, the film is under severe criticism due to representations it offers for the year 1946 Great Calcutta Killings, as tensions swirl in West Bengal.
Saswata Chatterjee’s statement
Saswata Chatterjee, well-known for his role as Bob Biswas in Kahaani, has distanced himself from The Bengal Files, insisting that he was totally unaware of the film’s entire story and its change of name from The Delhi Files to The Bengal Files.
Speaking with The Wall, he said, “I am just an actor. I liked a character, and I played it. I am not a historian to think about what history says.” He asserted that determining the historical correctness was not his job, directing those feeling misrepresented by the film to seek redress through the legal system. His claims came after Kolkata Police called off the trailer launch of the film on August 16, 2025, citing an absence of permission, which director Vivek Agnihotri termed as political harassment.
Pallavi Joshi’s Hot Response
Pallavi Joshi, lead and co-producer of The Bengal Files, did not spare Chatterjee from her harsh criticism. In an exclusive interview with News18, she stated that Chatterjee was “scared” due to political pressure in West Bengal, “I thought he would have more courage, but I was wrong.”
Joshi, Agnihotri’s wife, stated that the title The Delhi Files: Bengal Chapter always signaled that it was about Bengal history, and so this is false. Joshi also expressed her disappointment, saying that it was deflating for Chatterjee as a Bengali actor not to lend his support in all these legal threats and political problems encountered by the film, including the FIRs, for allegedly maligning Bengal.
Larger Implications: The Film vs. The Politics
As the last segment of Agnihotri’s Files Trilogy, The Bengal Files talks about the Calcutta Killings of 1946 and the Noakhali riots, which he calls an “exposé of Hindu genocide.” The trailer launch cancellation, and now an FIR, only adds fuel to the controversy levelled against the Mamata Banerjee-run government for stifling freedom of expression.
Joshi branded it as an ‘assault on democracy’, whereas Agnihotri commended Chatterjee for his ‘National Award-worthy’ performance, insisting he was fully aware of the script. The unfolding controversy illustrates the dichotomy between creative freedom and political narratives, with The Bengal Files poised to incite perhaps even more debate at the time of its screening.
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