The Bengal Files unmasked: Vivek Agnihotri Exclusive

The release of The Bengal Files, helmed by Vivek Agnihotri, is only a few days away. The political drama has created quite a buzz ever since the trailer was released. Ahead of the release of the film, in an exclusive interaction with WION, Vivek Agnihotri has opened up about the details and the controversies surrounding it.

Vivek Agnihotri about The Bengal Files: FIR, misrepresentation of a freedom fighter, and more

• What inspired you to make The Bengal Files?

Life, politics, society, and the pain and trauma of the generational pain and trauma of partition. What inspired me is that I think the younger generation, especially, and anybody who is above 45 or 50, they do not even know how we got the partition, what the truth of the partition is. So, as said, people must understand what the real reasons of partition and who the real heroes were, and above that, it's possible for a Jewish child not to know about the holocaust or for a black child not to know about slavery. How come our generation doesn't know about Hindu genocide, one of the gruesome, perhaps one of the inhuman genocides that ever took place on this earth in the history of humanity? How come we don't know about it?

• Gopal Mukherjee’s grandson has apparently sent you a legal notice. He says his grandfather has been wrongly depicted in the film as anti-Muslim. Your reaction to the allegations.

Acknowledging the trauma is the first step towards healing, and with that intention, I made this film. He hasn't seen the film, and he has been talking to me for a long time. In fact, I was supposed to inaugurate Gopal Mukerjee's statue, the first statue in Calcutta, but because of this state-sponsored chaos, for security reasons, I was not allowed to go; however, the organisers came to the hotel where I inaugurated. I have tweeted it on my X and Instagram accounts. But, one thing, I can tell, I have shown him as a hero, after seeing the film, every single child and every single person in this country makes him a hero of their hearts.

He added, "We showed the film in the US. Whenever Gopal Mukhejee came on screen, people clapped with thunder. So, he is a hero, maybe he doesn't know, or maybe he is compelled by TMC to say things like that as he survives in Calcutta to live in Calcutta".

• Some of the actors- Saswata Chatterjee and Sourav Das- have alleged that they did not know the whole script of the film and only their characters. They seem to be distancing themselves from the film. What do you have to say?

No, that's not true. The media has cooked up these kinds of stories. In fact, Shashwata's manager spoke to me. He is like a friend, and he has been coming to my house, and it is possible for such a senior actor like Shashwata to not read the entire script and do a film. And is it possible, do you think Vivek Agnihotri and Pallavi Joshi will ever, ever, ever make a film where the lead actor, the main actor, has not read the entire script? Mithunda has no dialogue in the film, and he has read every single word of the film, so how is he not going to read? Gandhi has just 5 scenes; he had read the entire script. I say you have to see your role in the entirety of the film. Do you think the main villain of the film has not read the script, which means that it questions his acting and his credibility, not mine.

• Your films often get labeled as “agenda-driven.” How do you respond to critics who may say The Bengal Files is political propaganda rather than cinema?

I don't know who is saying that, I have never met anybody who tells me this on face, except for journalists. I have never met a common person who says that, so I don't know which people are saying that. And every film is a propaganda saying that God exists, that's also propaganda, isn't it? Christian says Jesus Christ is our God or messenger, and somebody says no, that's propaganda, my God is the real God, then a third party says no, my God is the real God, then you decide, I think all of them exist.

• Bengal has been a stronghold of intellectuals and artists. But they are opposing your version of Bengal’s history. Your take on it.

I don't think any intellectual is questioning this. Why will any intellectual question, if somebody is questioning direct action, whether it happened or not, he is not intellectual, he is a duffer, so I don't care about these people.

• What would be your message to those who think that films like yours deepen the divide more than heal?

Did I commit genocide? How am I dividing? I am a storyteller, and what I am seeing in society, I am showing it. Kashmir Files has united people, not divided. This film will unite every Indian, I guarantee you.

• Did you discover any untold stories or shocking facts during your research for the film?

The whole film is full of those kinds of things. Including the Noakhali riots is an untold story. Lots of issues will come up in the film.