The Bengal Files: Can It Replicate the “Files” Phenomenon at the Box Office?
Few Hindi films in recent years have carried the kind of weight that a “Files” title does. Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files shocked the trade by turning a modest opening into a ₹250+ crore juggernaut purely on word-of-mouth. Since then, every new release from this director arrives with baggage: curiosity, controversy, and the question, will it ignite the same spark?
With The Bengal Files hitting theatres on 5th September 2025, the buzz is loud but divided. On one hand, the film promises another chapter in Agnihotri’s ongoing “unreported stories” franchise. On the other, the marketplace around its release looks far more hostile than it was in March 2022.
A Crowded Release Window
The film isn’t arriving solo. It clashes with two juggernauts, Tiger Shroff’s Baaghi 4, a masala actioner aggressively pushed with discount offers, and Hollywood’s The Conjuring: Last Rites, which is dominating premium screens like IMAX and 4DX. That’s a dangerous sandwich position: massy youth crowds lean towards Baaghi, while multiplex metros flock to horror. For a 3-hour 25 minute be drama with an “Adults Only” rating, the available breathing space looks limited.
Advances Tell the Story
The early ticket sales are modest. Reports suggest advances in the range of ₹20–24 lakh two days before release, well behind Baaghi 4, which crossed ₹2.75–5 crore in the same window. This points to a small opening day unless walk-ins surprise. The long runtime also means fewer shows per day, further curtailing Day-1 business.
Political Heat in Bengal
Another layer is the political undercurrent. The director has publicly appealed to West Bengal’s Chief Minister not to block the release. If the film faces restrictions in Bengal, a thematically important market, it will lose out on symbolic numbers and media-driven visibility. That could directly dent the opening weekend haul.
Lessons from the Franchise
The “Files” films are not about opening day fireworks; they are about the second wind. The Kashmir Files started with a modest ₹3.5 crore Friday and soared to ₹250 crore lifetime. The Vaccine War, however, stalled in single digits despite being branded as part of the same universe. The pattern is clear: these films live or die on word-of-mouth. If audiences resonate deeply, the curve bends sharply upwards. If not, it sinks quickly.
Projections: The Realistic Range
Looking at the current landscape, here’s where The Bengal Files seems headed:
Day 1: ₹2–3 crore likely, with an outside chance of ₹3.5–5 crore if walk-ins surge.
Opening Weekend: ₹10–13 crore in the base case.
Lifetime India: ₹30–45 crore looks reasonable; anything higher would require extraordinary audience momentum, the kind that turns headlines into conversations.
Overseas, the film might find curiosity in diaspora circles but will have to compete with Conjuring for screens. A US$0.5–1.5M opening weekend seems realistic.
The Verdict
The Bengal Files isn’t set up for an explosive opening. But the brand has always thrived on slow-burn word-of-mouth, not fireworks. The key will be audience reactions over the first weekend, especially Monday’s hold. If the emotional impact mirrors The Kashmir Files, the film could still break past expectations. But with stiff competition, an A certificate, and an unusually long runtime, the hill it must climb is far steeper this time.
For now, the numbers suggest a modest start with potential, but not inevitability, for growth. The box office fate of The Bengal Files rests less on its Friday figure and more on how loudly its viewers speak after stepping out of the theatre.
