The Bengal Files (2025) – Full Movie Review, Cast, Plot, Box Office Report & Where to Watch

 

The Bengal Files (2025) – Review

⭐ Quick Info

• IMDb rating: 7.2/10

• Genre: Political Drama / Historical Drama

• Director: Vivek Agnihotri

• Cast:

  • Mithun Chakraborty

  • Pallavi Joshi

  • Darshan Kumar

  • Anupam Kher

  • Simrat Kaur

  • Saswata Chatterjee, Sourav Das, Namashi Chakraborty, others

• Language: Hindi

• Runtime: ~204 minutes (about 3h 24m)

• Release Date: 5 September 2025

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📝 Plot Overview (Spoiler-Free)

The Bengal Files mixes a present-day investigation with historical flashbacks. A CBI officer is investigating the disappearance of a journalist in Bengal, which leads to uncovering the violent history of the 1940s – the Direct Action Day and the Noakhali riots. The story also follows an elderly woman (with memory issues) whose past is tied deeply to those events, and uses her recollections to show the horrors of communal violence.

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🎭 Performances

• The cast is strong with veterans like Mithun Chakraborty and Anupam Kher. They bring weight.

• Pallavi Joshi (as Maa Bharati / aged Bharati Banerjee) also stands out, especially in the emotional parts.

• Younger actors, such as Simrat Kaur (young Bharati Banerjee), provide perspective in the flashbacks.

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🎥 Direction & Technical Stuff

• Vivek Agnihotri tries to handle big, sensitive historical topics and controversial moments. He doesn’t hold back.

• The cinematography, editing have been criticized for being heavy because the movie is very long (3+ hours), which makes pacing an issue.

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⚖️ Strengths & Weaknesses

What Works:

• Bold attempt: The film tackles a part of history many don’t talk about much (and with controversy). That makes it interesting.

• Strong performances and moments with emotional weight.

• The dual timeline: present investigation + historical flashbacks gives context.

What Doesn’t Work:

• Runtime is very long—can feel exhausting. Some scenes feel overly graphic.

• Pacing issues: it drags sometimes, especially in the longer historical reenactments.

• Controversy & criticism: historical accuracy is disputed, and many feel parts are distorted. That can affect how viewers perceive it.

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📢 Final Verdict

The Bengal Files is ambitious and meant to provoke thought. If you like films about history, politics, and don’t mind strong visuals (some of them disturbing), you’ll find it compelling in parts. But for many, the long runtime and intense content may make it a difficult watch.

Rating: 2.5 / 5

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Watch / Where to Watch

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💰 Box Office & Impact

• In its first week, it earned around ₹11–12 crore in India.

• It’s part of Agnihotri’s “Files Trilogy” (after The Tashkent Files & The Kashmir Files).

• Faced legal/political objections, especially in West Bengal, over historical portrayals.

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📚 References

• Wikipedia

• Times of India

• NDTV

• Koimoi

• Deccan Herald