The Crossbill News Desk
Actor Saswata Chatterjee has distanced himself from the controversy surrounding filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s upcoming movie The Bengal Files.
Amid allegations that the film distorts history, the actor clarified that his involvement was limited to playing a role he found compelling and that he has “nothing to do with the controversy.”
Speaking to a Bengali news website, The Wall, Saswata said, “I am just an actor. I liked a character and I played it. I am not a historian to think about what history says and this is distorting history. It's not my job. If those whose job it is feel that Bengal is being belittled, then they can go to court with the information. There is no point is just making noise.”
He also revealed that he was unaware of the film’s title change. Initially announced as The Delhi Files, the project was renamed The Bengal Files after filming was completed.
“Nowadays, it's a trend, the whole story won't be told to anyone. You only get to know your track, your character. And when I was told about the role, I found the character to be amazing. It's a villain's character and very few people get such characters to play,” he said.
His comments came just days after authorities in Kolkata cancelled the trailer launch of the film, scheduled for August 16 at a five-star hotel. The event was allegedly stopped by the police, prompting Agnihotri to accuse the Mamata Banerjee-led government of being “fascists.”
The controversial filmmaker later claimed that the obstruction was due to “the person who is at the top of the administration in Bengal,” without naming anyone directly.
The film has already faced multiple FIRs in West Bengal for allegedly portraying the state in a negative light.
The Bengal Files, the third in Agnihotri’s “Files” trilogy after The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files, is set against the backdrop of political violence in West Bengal.
The narrative, according to the makers, is drawn from real incidents and testimonies that seek to highlight stories of violence and silence rarely addressed in mainstream discourse.
Written and directed by Agnihotri and produced by Abhishek Agarwal, Pallavi Joshi, and Agnihotri, the film stars Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Anupam Kher, Saswata Chatterjee, Simratt Kaur, and Darshan Kumarr. It is slated for release on September 5, 2025.
Amid allegations that the film distorts history, the actor clarified that his involvement was limited to playing a role he found compelling and that he has “nothing to do with the controversy.”
Speaking to a Bengali news website, The Wall, Saswata said, “I am just an actor. I liked a character and I played it. I am not a historian to think about what history says and this is distorting history. It's not my job. If those whose job it is feel that Bengal is being belittled, then they can go to court with the information. There is no point is just making noise.”
He also revealed that he was unaware of the film’s title change. Initially announced as The Delhi Files, the project was renamed The Bengal Files after filming was completed.
“Nowadays, it's a trend, the whole story won't be told to anyone. You only get to know your track, your character. And when I was told about the role, I found the character to be amazing. It's a villain's character and very few people get such characters to play,” he said.
His comments came just days after authorities in Kolkata cancelled the trailer launch of the film, scheduled for August 16 at a five-star hotel. The event was allegedly stopped by the police, prompting Agnihotri to accuse the Mamata Banerjee-led government of being “fascists.”
The controversial filmmaker later claimed that the obstruction was due to “the person who is at the top of the administration in Bengal,” without naming anyone directly.
The film has already faced multiple FIRs in West Bengal for allegedly portraying the state in a negative light.
The Bengal Files, the third in Agnihotri’s “Files” trilogy after The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files, is set against the backdrop of political violence in West Bengal.
The narrative, according to the makers, is drawn from real incidents and testimonies that seek to highlight stories of violence and silence rarely addressed in mainstream discourse.
Written and directed by Agnihotri and produced by Abhishek Agarwal, Pallavi Joshi, and Agnihotri, the film stars Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Anupam Kher, Saswata Chatterjee, Simratt Kaur, and Darshan Kumarr. It is slated for release on September 5, 2025.
Comments (0)
Leave a Comment