Audience reject Vivek Agnihotri’s The Bengal Files
Audience reject Vivek Agnihotri’s The Bengal Files
Audiences have rejected the film, criticising it for being repetitive and pushing propaganda in the name of cinema.
After the release, many viewers and critics called the film biased and historically inaccurate. Critics also slammed it for being boring, unnecessary, and divisive in nature.
Unlike his previous films, The Bengal Files failed to create any significant buzz. Even a few days following its release, the film struggled to attract audiences to theatres.
In response to the film’s poor performance, social media has erupted with memes targeting Vivek Agnihotri. Many users are highlighting the contrast between his past success and current struggles.
One viral meme compared two news articles. The first, dated October 4, 2022, reported that Agnihotri had purchased a ₹17.92 crore apartment in Mumbai after the success of The Kashmir Files. The second article, published after The Bengal Files’ release, claimed that he had to borrow money for flight tickets to promote the film.
This stark difference in popularity has led many to believe that the filmmaker is rapidly losing both his audience and funding, largely due to his repetitive and divisive storytelling style.
Leading up to the release, many social media users urged others to skip the film.
As anticipated, the turnout at theatres was low, making The Bengal Files one of Bollywood’s biggest flops.
Despite this, Vivek Agnihotri continues to defend his work. He claims that his financial troubles are due to the audience’s unwillingness to accept the “uncomfortable truths” he presents.
However, a recent revelation by his wife and producer, Pallavi Joshi, has drawn further criticism. She stated that the release of their films is often planned around election seasons. She admitted that if The Bengal Files had been released after the West Bengal elections, the couple wouldn’t have had money to survive.
Critics argue that such timing indicates that the films are made not for artistic reasons, but to align with certain political narratives. This strategy, they say, helps generate profits by tapping into sensitive public sentiments.
Based on her statement, many believe their next project could be The Bihar Files, possibly releasing ahead of the Bihar state elections.
For now, the public appears to have rejected The Bengal Files. Viewers are criticising the filmmaker for distorting history, promoting religious divides, and focusing more on profits than meaningful cinema.
News Edit KV Raman
