Entertainment

IIE DIGITAL DESK : Mithun Chakraborty, the veteran actor and Bharatiya Janata Party member, has emerged to staunchly defend Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s upcoming film The Bengal Files, asserting that while the movie is indeed "hard-hitting," it should never be dismissed as propaganda. Speaking from Mumbai, Chakraborty praised Agnihotri's writing—recalling how the filmmaker envisioned his challenging character from the outset. The role, he explained, was so intricate that it initially gave him pause: his character is partially mute, speaks haltingly due to a trauma that "torched" his tongue, and resorts to scavenging for food. “It took us a while to even figure out how he’d speak,” Mithun recounted. 

The actor didn’t mince words when addressing the backlash surrounding the film. Released global narratives and critiques, especially in West Bengal, had labeled the film as propagandistic. In response, Mithun argued that any honest portrayal of history demands a strong voice. “Yes, it’s a hard-hitting film. The film which tells the truth has to be hard-hitting,” he said. Questioned on why critics term such films propaganda, he noted, “If you’re making a film to tell the truth, does that become a propaganda tool?” and went on to decry what he called “pseudo-intellectualism”—mocking fabricated notions of secularism with a biting analogy. 

Angered further by obstacles cropping up during the film’s promotional phase, Mithun described the halting of the trailer launch in Kolkata last month as a “planned conspiracy.” He questioned how opponents could block a trailer screening without even having seen it. 

While defending the film, Mithun also ventured into personal aspirations beyond the project. He revealed that discussions are underway for him to portray controversial spiritual figure Osho Rajneesh in an upcoming film. But his deepest desire lies elsewhere: “Personally, I also want to play the revolutionary leader, Che Guevara,” he said, reflecting a fascination with revolutionary icons. 

Beyond The Bengal Files, Chakraborty spoke about his diverse slate of upcoming films. He will be seen as a maulvi in Rajkumar Santoshi’s period drama Lahore 1947, which features Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, and Ali Fazal, and is produced by Aamir Khan. Adding to his roster are Hanu Raghavpudi’s Telugu film Fauji alongside Prabhas; the anticipated Jailer 2 with Rajinikanth; and Projapoti 2, a sequel to his 2022 Bengali family drama. He emphasized that he chooses roles only when his character excites him. 

The Bengal Files is set to release theatrically on 5 September 2025. It is the third installment in Agnihotri’s controversial "Files" trilogy—following The Tashkent Files (2019) and The Kashmir Files (2022)—and is one of the longest Indian films at a runtime of 204 minutes. With its graphic portrayal of the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings and Noakhali riots, and its claim that these chapters were deliberately suppressed, the film is receiving intense scrutiny and political pushback, particularly from authorities in West Bengal. 

As the release date nears, Mithun Chakraborty’s impassioned defense of the film, his willingness to challenge political criticism, and his dreams of embodying revolutionary and spiritual legends continue to shape the conversation around The Bengal Files—and his evolving legacy.