'The Bengal Files' box office: Vivek Agnihotri’s film slips below ₹1 crore on day 6

Mumbai: Vivek Agnihotri’s latest release, 'The Bengal Files', is facing a tough run at the box office. After a modest opening, the film has witnessed a steady decline in collections, dropping below ₹1 crore by its sixth day in theatres.

On Wednesday, the political drama earned around ₹88 lakh, bringing its total India net to approximately ₹9.82 crore, according to Sacnilk estimates.

Box office trends:

The film opened at ₹1.75 crore on Friday and showed some weekend momentum with ₹2.25 crore on Saturday (up 28.57%) and ₹2.75 crore on Sunday (up 22.22%). However, the weekdays saw a sharp drop.

Monday’s collections fell to ₹1.15 crore, down 58.18%, before a slight rebound on Tuesday at ₹1.35 crore. By Wednesday, collections slipped further to ₹88 lakh, reflecting weak midweek performance.

Occupancy patterns:

Chennai has emerged as the strongest market, registering an average occupancy of 41% with evening shows touching 54%. Bengaluru followed at 28%, while Mumbai (15.67%), NCR (16.33%), and Pune (16.67%) recorded moderate turnout. Other regions, including Ahmedabad, Surat, and Hyderabad, saw a weaker response. Across India, afternoon and evening shows performed best, with no night screenings held.

About 'The Bengal Files'

Released on 5 September 2025, the 204-minute-long film marks the concluding chapter of Agnihotri’s Files trilogy, after 'The Tashkent Files' (2019) and 'The Kashmir Files' (2022). Set against the backdrop of Direct Action Day (1946) and the Noakhali riots, the film depicts the violence as genocide and claims that these events were deliberately overlooked in history.

Despite its ambition, 'The Bengal Files' has largely drawn negative reviews, with critics panning it for alleged historical distortions and its marathon runtime.