Mithun Chakraborty Proud of ‘The Bengal Files’, Says Art’s Job is to Show Truth

Playing this ‘Madman’ was the toughest role of his career. Imagine having a burned tongue. You can speak, but every word brings pain. Mithun had to capture that agony in his voice. He delivered every line in a broken tone, showing that the effort to speak was his biggest fight. The character often looks angry, but deep down, he’s a broken man. Sometimes, even after the scene ended, Mithun found it hard to escape that pain.

One particular scene during filming remains unforgettable. He told Darshan, “Everyone knows three pillars, but the fourth pillar is – We the people.” A hush fell over the entire set when he said it. It felt less like a movie scene and more like a real-life truth laid bare. That day, Mithun felt he had fully become the character.

The film’s story profoundly moved Mithun. The events it depicts happened before he was born. He had only heard the name ‘Noakhali Massacre’ in books, but never in detail. The shocking truth is that around forty thousand Hindus were massacred then. Yet, this fact was suppressed in history books. The question is, why was it hidden? Was it to protect certain political interests? Vivek Agnihotri’s research has uncovered this truth, and it’s making many people nervous. Mithun believes that truth, no matter how much you try to hide it, always finds a way out.

Mithun suggests that this fear of the truth coming out is precisely why some opposition might be happening. But how long can you really suppress the truth? He points out that efforts were made to stop ‘The Kashmir Files’ too, but audiences embraced it anyway. He expects the same outcome for ‘The Bengal Files’.

Some people label Vivek Agnihotri’s films as propaganda. Mithun doesn’t understand this viewpoint. He stresses that ‘The Bengal Files’ isn’t tied to current politics. This story dates back to pre-independence times. When the truth comes to light, it can sting many. That’s when some people resort to calling it propaganda. For Mithun, art’s true purpose is to reveal truth. If artists lose that freedom, art itself will wither and die.

Vivek Agnihotri’s press conference was famously halted. Mithun believes this was pre-planned. People began protesting the film even before watching it. Forming an opinion without even seeing the trailer isn’t fair. Yet, the funny thing is, all this opposition had the opposite effect. The more they tried to stop it, the more curious people became. As a result, the trailer gained over fifteen million views in just a few days. The attempts to suppress it actually boosted its reach.

Mithun feels incredibly proud to be part of such films. When you bring your country’s real history to people, it becomes more than just a movie; it turns into a responsibility. These roles are not easy to play. But when audiences tell him, “You are our voice,” he knows all the hard work has paid off.

He also shared his thoughts on Anupam Kher’s portrayal of Gandhi in the film. Mithun called Anupam’s work superb. Bringing Gandhi to the screen isn’t simple, but Anupam played the role with complete honesty and dedication. Mithun is confident that audiences will be pleasantly surprised by his performance.