The film The Bengal Files, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, released recently but has received a lukewarm response. Not many audiences have shown interest in watching it.
In contrast, Agnihotri’s earlier film The Kashmir Files, which came in March 2022, shook the national box office.
The depiction of religious genocide in that film shocked and moved many viewers. Even senior BJP leaders indirectly promoted it through their public statements.
Almost a year later, in May 2023, another film in a similar genre, The Kerala Story directed by Sudipto Sen, again shook the national box office.
It depicted religious terrorism in a brutal and unsettling way, and it connected with a large number of people across the country.
Now, after two years, The Bengal Files has arrived, once again portraying religious genocide, this time as a historical chronicle from Bengal.
The cast and crew are largely the same as The Kashmir Files. But unlike the earlier two films, the response this time is lukewarm, and the openings themselves are alarmingly underwhelming.
Why is it so? Some argue that it is simply due to monotony, as audiences felt the same emotions being repeated and therefore lost interest.
Others say that this could be an indicator of a diminishing Modi image and declining BJP wave.
They suggest that The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story resonated strongly with people when the BJP wave was at its peak, but The Bengal Files may not be riding on the same sentiment.
Whatever the reason, the debate remains open. The real question is why The Bengal Files failed to attract audiences to theatres in the way its predecessors did.