Actors before the release of the film rarely make public statements about something negative regarding their own work. Saswata Chatterjee’s comments about the film The Bengal Files did feel such controversy. The eminent Bengali actor said that he felt “misguided” during the shoot because he was not fully introduced to the subject of the film as it was presented to him as an entirely different project under the title The Delhi Files, which is now renamed The Bengal Files.
“This is quite similar to the way I was told that my role had a very powerful villain-type character but was not told about the broad context of the story.” Recently, Saswata said, “These days, only partial tracks are given to actors. During the shoot, the film was still called The Delhi Files. Afterward, the name was changed.”
Pallavi Joshi Disputes the Claims
Saswata’s comments were met with denial from the film’s producer and actress Pallavi Joshi, also implicated in it. Wherein she implied that the actor probably voiced his statement due to some political pressure in Bengal.
ALSO READ: Mission Impossible Stunt Morse Code Mayhem: Paramount Trolls Fans with Brilliant
I’m a woman and I’ve taken a stand. As a man, he should also have the courage to stand by the truth. No one was kept in darkness,” said Joshi. It may be noted that the project was titled The Delhi Files: Bengal Chapter while the core of the storyline was always about Bengal’s troubled history during Partition. According to her, “All actors, including Saswata, were given bound scripts and knew the basis of their characters”.
Political Responses and Protest
The movie has received political reactions in West Bengal. In Kolkata, during the launch of the trailer, various riots erupted, with some groups condemning the movie for changing history and igniting communal sentiments. Joshi, however, states that this is all documented and it is most likely that all of them were kept on good transparency.
ALSO READ: Sunita Ahuja’s Emotional Plea to Govinda Amid Divorce Rumours: “Wapas Aaja Chi Chi”
According to Joshi, the title came from this: “Initially, the director Vivek Agnihotri had thought Delhi should be the one to reflect in the title as that was the political capital. However, since the story is largely about Direct Action Day in Bengal, the final choice became naturally The Bengal Files.”
About the Film
Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, The Bengal Files features a star-studded cast including Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumar, Pallavi Joshi, Sourav Das, Simrat Kaur and Saswata Chatterjee in a key role. The film, scheduled for release on September 5, aims to revisit one of the bloodiest chapters in India’s Partition history.
ALSO READ: Sara Tendulkar Launches First Pilates Studio: Tendulkar Family Celebrates Big Move
