Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, known for his provocative explorations of Indian history, is once again making headlines. This time, his focus is on one of the most violent and often overlooked chapters in the nation’s pre-independence era: the 1946 Direct Action Day riots in Calcutta. His upcoming film, The Bengal Files, set for a worldwide release on September 5, 2025, promises to challenge how India remembers the bloodshed that preceded its partition.
According to Mathrubhumi, The Bengal Files dives deep into the events of August 1946, when communal violence erupted in Calcutta after the All-India Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, declared Direct Action Day. This call came in the wake of the Cabinet Mission Plan’s collapse, with Jinnah warning, “We have also forged a pistol and are in a position to use it.” The chilling declaration set the stage for four days of horror beginning on August 15, 1946, under the watch of Bengal’s then Chief Minister Suhrawardy.
In those four days, between 5,000 and 10,000 people—mostly Hindus—lost their lives, and thousands more were injured. The violence, as Mathrubhumi details, did not stop at Calcutta’s borders. It spread rapidly to Noakhali (now in Bangladesh), Bihar, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, stoking communal tensions across British India and pushing the subcontinent ever closer to the cataclysm of partition.
Agnihotri’s film, as reported by Mathrubhumi, is not a conventional historical drama. Instead, it sets out to expose what he terms a “long-ignored genocide,” focusing on the massacre of Hindus in Calcutta and beyond. The director has emphasized that the movie is grounded in archival research, survivor accounts, and period documents, aiming to present a truthful—if deeply unsettling—representation of the era. “The Bengal Files: Right To Life promises to tell the story from the moment where India was divided. It talks about the partition between India-Pakistan and West Bengal-East Bengal (now Bangladesh), on the basis of religion,” notes Hindustan Times.
This latest work is the third installment in Agnihotri’s trilogy, following The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files. The trilogy began with The Tashkent Files, a film that probed the mysterious death of India’s second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, after signing the Tashkent treaty. The film questioned whether Shastri’s death was natural or shrouded in conspiracy, weaving a narrative that captivated audiences and sparked debate over one of India’s enduring political mysteries.
The second film, The Kashmir Files, took on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990, recounting the harrowing tales of families forced to flee their homes overnight to escape death. Agnihotri claimed to have gathered testimonies from survivors scattered across the globe, and the film’s unflinching portrayal of trauma struck a chord with viewers—especially Anupam Kher’s widely lauded performance. Both The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files are now available for streaming on Zee5 and OTTplay Premium, as noted by Hindustan Times.
With The Bengal Files, Agnihotri aims to go even further back in time, revisiting the pre-independence communal rifts that many argue have shaped the fabric of modern India. The film’s narrative is anchored in the events of 1946, but its implications ripple forward, forcing a reexamination of the roots of religious and political fault lines that still echo today.
Agnihotri’s approach is not without controversy. The release of the film’s trailer sparked heated debate in Kolkata, with some lauding the director for confronting historical atrocities head-on, while others accused him of stoking communal tensions or oversimplifying a complex past. As Hindustan Times reports, Agnihotri often finds himself at the center of controversy due to his choice of subjects and storytelling style. Yet, his films undeniably ignite conversation, compelling audiences to confront uncomfortable truths.
What sets The Bengal Files apart, according to its creators, is its reliance on real testimonies and archival research. Agnihotri has stated that survivor accounts and original documents were instrumental in shaping the film’s narrative, ensuring that the depiction of events remains as close to reality as possible. This method, he argues, is essential for presenting an honest account of history, even if it is unsettling.
The film’s release comes at a time when debates over historical memory and representation are especially charged in India. The 1946 riots, while a pivotal episode in the lead-up to partition, have often been overshadowed in the country’s collective memory by the trauma of partition itself and the violence of 1947. By shining a spotlight on Direct Action Day and its aftermath, Agnihotri is inviting viewers to grapple with the uncomfortable origins of India’s communal divisions.
For many, the events of 1946 are not just history—they are a living legacy. The violence that began in Calcutta and spread across Bengal and northern India left deep scars, shaping the destinies of millions and setting the stage for one of the largest human migrations in history during partition. By revisiting these events, The Bengal Files seeks to recover voices and stories that have too often been neglected or deliberately forgotten.
Yet, as with Agnihotri’s previous films, the approach is not without its critics. Some argue that focusing on the suffering of one community risks inflaming present-day tensions or offering a one-sided view of history. Others counter that acknowledging past atrocities is a necessary step toward reconciliation and understanding. The debate itself is a testament to the power of cinema—and history—to provoke reflection and dialogue.
Agnihotri’s trilogy, as Hindustan Times points out, is not just a series of films but a sustained project to interrogate India’s past and the stories that have shaped its present. Whether one sees his work as a bold reckoning with historical truth or as a controversial provocation, there’s no denying the impact his films have had on public discourse.
As the release date for The Bengal Files approaches, anticipation—and anxiety—continues to mount. Will the film succeed in shedding new light on a dark chapter, or will it deepen existing divides? One thing is certain: Agnihotri’s latest work will not go unnoticed, and the conversations it sparks may prove as significant as the history it portrays.
With its unflinching gaze at the violence of 1946 and its aftermath, The Bengal Files challenges viewers to confront the complexities of India’s past and the ongoing struggle to understand its present.