Director: Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri
Cast: Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar, Simratt Kaur, Anupam Kher, Saswata Chatterjee, Namashi Chakraborty, Eklavya Sood
Where To Watch: In Theatre
Rating: 3 stars
The Bengal Files Review: Having watched The Kashmir Files, and after watching the trailer of The Bengal Files, we knew that watching Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri's new film won’t be an easy experience, and the film offers what we expected. The movie has been embroiled in a lot of controversies, and has finally hit the big screens today (September 5, 2025). So, is it worth your time and money? Read on to know that…
The film is about a CBI officer, Shiv Pandit (Darshan Kumar), who is sent to a small town in West Bengal where a Dalit girl named Geeta has gone missing and the suspect is Bharati (Pallavi Joshi). Geeta used to stay at Bharati's house, and she went missing from there. Bharati is an old woman suffering from dementia, and she only takes the name of Husseini (Saswata Chatterjee), a local MLA there. When Shiv meets Bharati, she starts telling him about what happened with her in 1946, and then the movie goes into the flashback showcasing what all happened in West Bengal on the Direct Action Day.
The Bengal Files is inspired by true events, and it is written and directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri. The first half of the movie is engaging, and there are many hard-hitting scenes that will give you goosebumps, make you uncomfortable, and even make you feel emotional.
The movie in the second half dips a bit. The flashback scenes are very well shot, but as soon as the film comes to the present, it loses its momentum. Also, in the second half, Shiv's character becomes overdramatic, and that ruins the feel of the movie.
The runtime of The Bengal Files is 204 minutes. Yes, it is a long film, and the makers could have trimmed a bit, especially, in the second half.
What impresses us a lot in the film are a few dialogues and scenes that are very relevant in today's time! From women's safety to why we are still having Hindu-Muslim fights, The Bengals Files puts a light on many such issues. In this fight of Hindu and Muslim, we have forgotten to talk as 'We The People'.
The Bengal Files Review - Actors' Performances
The Bengal Files is a multi-starrer, but it belongs to two female leads, Simratt Kaur (Gadar 2 fame) and Pallavi Joshi. Simratt has given an award-winning performance. She is simply exceptional in the film. It wasn't an easy role, but Simratt has done it fantastically.
Pallavi Joshi takes the movie a notch higher with her performance. She is just excellent in the climax.
Darshar Kumar has performed well, but as we said in the second half, his character becomes overdramatic. Eklavya Sood as Amar is very impressive; his performance leaves a strong mark.
Other actors like Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Saswata Chatterjee, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, and Namashi Chakraborty are very good in their respective roles. Especially, Kher as Mahatma Gandhi will grab your attention.
The Bengal Files Review - Music
The music of the film is decent, and suits the theme. Even the background score is fine.
The Bengal Files Review - FPJ Verdict
Overall, The Bengal Files is an emotionally haunting, hard-hitting film. But, it is not for faint-hearted people. The amazing performance of the female leads take the movie a notch higher.
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