Not a historian: Bengal Files actor Saswata Chatterjee distances himself from row

Disassociating himself with the 'The Bengali Files' controversy, Bengali actor Saswata Chatterjee said the Vivek Agnihotri film was initially titled 'The Delhi Files'. He said he wasn't aware of the film's story or the reason behind its title change at the last minute.

In Short

• Saswata Chatterjee unaware why title changed from 'The Delhi Files' to 'The Bengal Files'
• Controversy over portrayal of freedom fighter Gopal Mukherjee sparks legal notice
• Gopal Mukherjee's grandson protests alleged disrespectful depiction in film

Actor Saswata Chatterjee, in a recent interview, distanced himself from the 'The Bengal Files' controversy, stating that he is not a historian, but just an actor. Emphasising that he cannot check the political correctness of a story, he added that he was unaware of why the title was changed from 'The Delhi Files' to 'The Bengal Files', adding that he was only told about his character, not the entire story at the time of joining the project.

His comments came two days after the trailer launch of the film was cancelled by the authorities in Kolkata, causing Agnihotri to slam the Mamata Banerjee-led government, calling them "fascists." The team of 'The Bengal Files' also faced multiple FIRs in West Bengal for allegedly showing the state in a bad light.

"I am just an actor. I liked a character and I played it. I am not a historian to think about what history says and this is distorting history. It's not my job. If those whose job it is feel that Bengal is being belittled, then they can go to court with the information. There is no point is just making noise," said Saswata Chatterjee in an interview with The Wall.

The actor, who plays the antagonist in the film, shared that he simply found his role interesting and agreed to do the film without being aware of the entire story. "I don't know. Let me tell you this. Nowadays, it's a trend, the whole story won't be told to anyone. You only get to know your track, your character. And when I was told about the role [in 'The Bengal Files'], I found the character to be amazing. It's a villain's character and very few people get such characters to play," he said when asked about the possibility of the film not releasing in West Bengal.

Further explaining how he had no say in the title change from 'The Delhi Files' to 'The Bengal Files', Chatterjee said, "While the shooting was going on, the name of the film was 'Delhi Files' and after the shooting was completed, I came to know that it was changed to 'The Bengal Files'. That is not in my hands."

The actor also remarked that "making a noise" about the new title wouldn't help those who don't like it.

One of the objections that the film is facing involves its alleged portrayal of Gopal Mukherjee, a gang leader who played a key role in Hindu resistance during 1946 Bengal riots and the atrocities against Hindus. His grandson, Shantanu Mukherjee, filed a complaint against Agnihotri, claiming distortion of facts.

'THE BENGAL FILES' CONTROVERSY

'The Bengal Files' trailer introduced a prominent character as "Ek Tha Kashai Gopal Patha" - allegedly referring to Mukherjee.

Mukherjee's grandson Shantanu objected to the character reference and said, "My grandfather was called Kashai (which means the butcher), also called Patha (means goat), which is disrespectful. I think Vivek Agnihotri should research more on this. From where did they get this wrong information? He has not contacted us either. That's why we are protesting this and will continue to do so. In protest, we have sent a legal notice to Vivek Agnihotri and also filed an FIR."

He added, "He was a part of the freedom movement. His ideology matched with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. He worked with several notable freedom fighters. How can anyone say he is Kashai or Patha?"

Following the complaint, Shantanu also sent a legal notice to Vivek Agnihotri, demanding an apology for the alleged distortion of his grandfather's character.

Agnihotri and his team are calling these objections and the cancellation of the trailer launch in Kolkata an outcome of "political pressure". The director is going to address the issue at a press conference in Delhi on August 18.

'The Bengal Files' features Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Mohan Kapur, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Pallavi Joshi, Saswata Chatterjee and Puneet Issar, among others in key roles. The film is slated for a grand release in theatres on September 5, 2025.

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