It is not always that actors speak out against their own films even before they release. That is why Saswata Chatterjee‘s statement about his upcoming film, The Bengal Files, raised a few eyebrows. The actor claims he was misled while doing the film and did not even know what the film was about. However, the film’s producer and actor Pallavi Joshi has countered those claims, calling them untrue.

What Saswata Chatterjee said

The Bengal Files is directed by Vivek Agnihotri and is based on Direct Action Day, the bloody chapter of history in Bengal’s Partition. Pallavi, Vivek’s wife, is not only acting in the film but also co-producing it. Saswata Chatterjee has a small role in the film. Speaking with The Wall News, the actor had said, “Nowadays, they don’t share the full story with anyone. Only a track is given, and only the character is explained. When I was told about my role, it was said to be a strong character, a villain-type role, which very few actors get. “During the entire shoot, the film’s name was Delhi Files. After the shoot got over, I saw the name had been changed to Bengal Files.”

Pallavi Joshi reacts

In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, Pallavi Joshi addresses Saswata Chatterjee’s statements and says, “I understand what is happening. Living in Bengal, they must be facing a lot of political pressure. Even then, my point of view is, I’m a woman and taking a stand. You’re a man, so you have to grow a pair and say the truth. Don’t say that I was just told about my character. That’s not correct. And yes, the film was called The Delhi Files earlier. But it was not called only The Delhi Files. The full title was The Delhi Files: Bengal Chapter. It was always about Bengal. We hadn’t kept anybody in the dark about it.”

The Bengal Files is still two weeks away from release, but it has already faced opposition from political parties in West Bengal, who claim it misrepresents history. The film’s trailer launch in Kolkata saw protests and a disruption of the event.

Pallavi maintains that all the actors were fully aware of what the film was about, and were given ‘full, bound scripts’. “This may happen with other projects, but not in our films. We work with bound scripts,” she says, adding, “All the actors were told what the script and story were. This guy also knew inka character kispe based hai (on whom his character is based). There was a discussion. So to say that I was only given my lines and stuff like that, it’s not good. Good of him to say that, please go and watch the film. But, I would like men to show a little more courage.”

About The Bengal Files

When the film was announced, it was called The Delhi Files. Elaborating on why the title was changed, Pallavi explains, “It was a working title. We always knew that Direct Action Day would be a part of this. And then, after the script was written, when we realised it’s all about Bengal, we kept saying that it should become Bengal Files. But Vivek initially felt that the political epicentre is in Delhi, which is why the original title was chosen. The film opens in Delhi with Lord Mountbatten. So, both Delhi and Bengal are integral parts of the film’s narrative.”

The Bengal Files stars Darshan Kumar, Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Sourav Das, Simrat Kaur, and Rajesh Khera, apart from Pallavi and Saswata. The film will release in theatres on 5 September.