Why Vivek Agnihotri calls 'The Bengal Files' his protest against erased history

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has described his upcoming release, The Bengal Files, as more than just a film—it is, in his words, a protest against decades of suppressed history.

As part of his ‘Files’ trilogy, Agnihotri claims the film will spotlight communal violence and unrest in undivided Bengal during the 1940s, an era he believes has been deliberately kept from public discourse.

In a video message shared on Instagram, Agnihotri announced a series of 10 grand premiere screenings across the United States, beginning 19 July and ending 10 August, ahead of the film’s official India release on 5 September 2025.

“The Bengal Files is not just a film but a buried truth every Indian must know. It’s a film your children must watch before it’s too late,” Agnihotri said in his post.

The director—known for his controversial but widely discussed films The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files—has called The Bengal Files the final chapter in his trilogy. He emphasised that this film would explore untold stories of the Noakhali riots, Direct Action Day, and the deep-rooted communal tensions in pre-Partition Bengal.

“If Kashmir hurt you, Bengal will haunt you,” he declared in the video. “This is my way of protesting—because the world was kept in the dark by our politicians, historians, and media.”

Agnihotri also stressed the importance of using film to educate future generations. “The Bengal Files will make your children learn what we have gone through,” he added. “It’s your history, my history, your children’s history—and their children’s.”

The film stars Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Puneet Issar, Govind Namdev, and others. It aims to reflect the political and human cost of one of the most turbulent chapters in India’s modern history.

US Premiere Tour Schedule (2025):

19 July – New Jersey
20 July – Washington DC
25 July – Raleigh
26 July – Atlanta
27 July – Tampa
1 August – Phoenix
2 August – Los Angeles
3 August – San Francisco Bay Area
9 August – Chicago
10 August – Houston (Grand Finale)

Agnihotri concluded the video by urging Indian Americans to watch the film with their families and reflect on the sacrifices of the past. “Join us in reclaiming our forgotten stories,” he said.

The Bengal Files releases in Indian cinemas on 5 September 2025.