Pallavi Joshi has expressed her disappointment with Saswata Chatterjee's reluctance to publicly support their upcoming film, "The Bengal Files". The film, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, is based on the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings and the Noakhali riots. It is the third installment in Agnihotri's "Files Trilogy," following "The Tashkent Files" (2019) and "The Kashmir Files" (2022). "The Bengal Files" is slated to release on September 5, 2025.
The controversy surrounding "The Bengal Files" began when the trailer launch in Kolkata was allegedly halted. According to reports, the authorities claimed that the organizers had not obtained the necessary permissions for a public screening. Joshi criticized the West Bengal administration, calling the alleged obstruction an "attack on democracy" and "unconstitutional". Agnihotri also claimed that the trailer launch was stopped at a five-star hotel in Kolkata.
Amidst the controversy, Saswata Chatterjee distanced himself from the film, clarifying that he is an actor and not a historian. He stated that verifying the historical accuracy of the film is not his responsibility. Chatterjee also mentioned that he was unaware of the film's title change from "Delhi Files" to "The Bengal Files" until after filming was completed. He said he would not understand the reason behind the change until he saw the movie.
Joshi's disappointment stems from her perception that Chatterjee, whom she believed possessed courage, is now "scared" to support the film. This comes in the wake of Chatterjee's statement that he is merely an actor playing a character and not responsible for verifying historical claims.
"The Bengal Files" has faced criticism for allegedly distorting historical facts and misrepresenting historical characters. The film's narrative centers around the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings and the Noakhali riots, portraying the violence as a genocide and claiming that these historical events were deliberately silenced. The film stars Darshan Kumar, Pallavi Joshi, Simrat Kaur, Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, and Saswata Chatterjee, among others.
