Agnihotri Defends Title Change Amid Controversy
Director clarifies title shift to reflect Bengal’s turbulent history.
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s upcoming film, The Bengal Files, set for release on September 5, 2025, has stirred controversy and debate, with the director addressing the backlash over its title change in an exclusive NDTV interview with Padmaja Joshi. Originally titled The Delhi Files: The Bengal Chapter, Agnihotri renamed the film after public confusion linked it to the 1984 Sikh genocide or the 2020 Delhi riots.
“People weren’t used to subtitles like ‘The Bengal Chapter,’” he explained, noting that a social media poll, with lakhs of responses, overwhelmingly favored The Bengal Files. “I make films for the people, and they wanted a clear title reflecting Bengal’s story.”
The film, the third in Agnihotri’s ‘Files’ trilogy following The Tashkent Files (2019) and The Kashmir Files (2022), dives into Bengal’s volatile 1940s, focusing on the Great Calcutta Killings, Direct Action Day, and Noakhali riots. Featuring a stellar cast including Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, and Darshan Kumaar, the teaser, released on June 12, 2025, sparked immediate legal challenges.
Two FIRs were filed in West Bengal’s Murshidabad and Kolkata, alleging the film could disrupt communal harmony. On August 4, the Calcutta High Court, under Justice Jay Sengupta, issued an interim stay on both FIRs after Agnihotri and producer Pallavi Joshi sought their dismissal.
Agnihotri, no stranger to political resistance, pointed to similar pushback against his earlier works, including alleged gag orders by the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government. “My films aim to uncover hard truths,” he said, defending The Bengal Files as a people-driven project. The title change, he clarified, was to ensure clarity: “The story is about Bengal’s history, not Delhi’s.”
With its release approaching, the film continues to generate buzz and controversy, positioning it as another provocative chapter in Agnihotri’s trilogy exploring India’s complex past.
Also Read: Vivek Agnihotri Declares Legal Battle if ‘The Bengal Files’ Faces West Bengal Ban!
Also Read: Vivek Agnihotri Declares Legal Battle if ‘The Bengal Files’ Faces West Bengal Ban!
