Vivek Agnihotri's The Bengal Files, which triggered a political row since the trailer was launched on August 16, has opened for advance bookings ahead of the film's release on September 5. The film is the third installment in the Files trilogy. Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files, released in 2022, made box office history by minting more than Rs 250 crore at the domestic box office.
What's Happening
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, The Bengal Files sold 1,928 tickets on its first day of advance booking. Releasing in 392 shows, the film minted Rs 6.24 lakh in India till now. In terms of occupancy, Karnataka and Telangana are leading the charts.
Looking back, The Kashmir Files had registered advance bookings worth Rs 1.13 crore (gross) on its first day.
The Bengal Files Controversy
Vivek Agnihotri's latest film has been targeted by a section of the Internet for its over-the-top depiction of the Hindu genocide against the backdrop of the 1946 riots in Calcutta. Gopal Chandra Mukherjee, AKA Gopal Patha, was shown in a poor light in the film, alleged his grandson.
Amid the controversies, Vivek Agnihotri claimed that some Bengal theatre owners are refusing to screen the film.
Agnihotri told NDTV, “In the last 24 hours, the development is because we opened the advance booking and the theatres have been finalized. I've got to know this through my distributors. The distributors represent different communities in Bengal. It will create history. But I just learnt that theatres are now refusing to show it because they fear there will be political turmoil.”
About The Kashmir Files and The Bengal Files
The Bengal Files is the third installment in Vivek Agnihotri's Files trilogy, following the National Award-winning films The Tashkent Files (2019) and The Kashmir Files (2022). It stars Mithun Chakraborty, Saswata Chatterjee, Anupam Kher, Priyanshu Chatterjee, and Darshan Kumar.
The Kashmir Files is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus. The film stars Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi. Made on a moderate budget of Rs 15-20 crore, the film created havoc at the box office.