Vivek Agnihotri’s much-awaited film, ‘The Bengal Files’, finally hit cinemas on 5th September 2025, but its release has been far from smooth. Surrounded by controversies and clashing with Tiger Shroff’s action entertainer ‘Baaghi 4’, the film had a modest start at the box office.
‘The Bengal Files’ box office collection day 1
According to early estimates by Sacnilk, ‘The Bengal Files’ earned around Rs 1.75 crore India net on its opening day. The film recorded an overall Hindi occupancy of 21.24% on Friday, 5th September, with attendance varying throughout the day, morning shows drew 15.08%, afternoon shows 18.58%, evening shows 22.08%, and night shows saw the highest occupancy at 29.20%.
Controversy around ‘The Bengal Files’
The film’s rollout was shadowed by controversy, especially in West Bengal. The trailer was not shown at the Kolkata launch, and reportedly no theatres in the state screened the movie. Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri claimed theatre owners were pressured not to show the film. Actress Pallavi Joshi escalated the issue further, writing an open letter to the President of India, calling it an “unofficial ban”, despite no formal objections from the censor board.
Faces stiff competition from ‘Baaghi 4’
‘Baaghi 4’, the fourth instalment in Tiger Shroff’s popular action franchise, clearly overshadowed Agnihotri’s film on opening day. In comparison, Tiger Shroff’s ‘Baaghi 4’ collected around Rs 12 crore on the same day, putting ‘The Bengal Files’ far behind in terms of box office performance.Apart from Tiger, the action thriller also stars Sanjay Dutt, Harnaaz Sandhu, Shreyas Talpade, Saurabh Sachdeva, Upendra Limaye, and Sonam Bajwa in prominent roles.
What is ‘The Bengal Files’ about?
‘The Bengal Files’ is a fictional drama inspired by real events in Indian history and politics. It revisits the communal violence in Bengal during the 1940s, highlighting the tragic aftermath of Direct Action Day and the horrifying Noakhali riots.
‘The Bengal Files’ cast
The narrative of ‘The Bengal Files’ is driven by a strong ensemble cast. Mithun Chakraborty anchors the story, while Anupam Kher and Pallavi Joshi provide solid support. Darshan Kumar and Simrat Kaur play pivotal roles, and actors including Saswata Chatterjee, Namashi Chakraborty, Rajesh Khera, Puneet Issar, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Sourav Das, and Mohan Kapur complete the ensemble.While ‘The Bengal Files’ had a slow start, it could gain momentum in the coming days if word of mouth is strong. However, with the current controversies and stiff competition from ‘Baaghi 4’, the film faces an uphill battle at the box office.DISCLAIMER: The box office numbers in this article are compiled from our proprietary sources and diverse public data. While we strive for accuracy, all figures are approximate unless explicitly mentioned, offering a fair representation of the project’s box office performance. We are open to feedback and suggestions on toientertainment@timesinternet.in. Go to Source
