The Bengal Files was supposed to be watched in theatres by millions of Hindus. However, it has been a lukewarm response at the cinemas.
When The Kashmir Files became an unexpected blockbuster in 2022, the narrative on social media was that Hindutva's domination in the filmdom had arrived. For years, the movies of Shah Rukh Khan were not doing well. Many on social media started saying that Bollywood had no option but to junk "anti-Hindu" movies.
Things have taken a 180-degree turn since then. SRK registered two massive blockbusters in 2023. Jawan had subtle digs at the establishment and yet it became a Rs 1000-Cr blockbuster.
On the other hand, Vivek Agnihotri's movies have been on the downhill. The Bengal Files, which chronicles the Muslim League's Islamist imperialist agenda and how Hindu masses suffered in the run up to India's Partition, is registering discouraging footfalls in theatres.
How should one see this change? Is it over for the so-called Hindutva filmography? Leftists on social media opine that Indian audiences find these movies irrelevant to their lives. A nuanced take would be that these movies are predictable and dry. Vivek Agnihotri adopted a documentary-style take in The Kashmir Files. Given its treatment and verbosity, the film minting more than Rs 340 Cr was nothing less than a shocker. Vivek has struggled to change his style since then. The Vaccine War was too verbose and it flopped. Kashmir Files worked because of the emotions the place Kashmir evokes. Bengal hasn't got that ring.
With The Bengal Files flopping, it has to be seen how many producers will continue to be interesting in so-called Hindutva nationalist movies.
