Vivek Agnihotri, the renowned filmmaker behind the historical blockbuster ‘The Kashmir Files,’ is currently in the spotlight for his upcoming film, ‘The Bengal Files.’ Amidst discussions surrounding the film, he has addressed his views on Hindus and his role in cinema. Agnihotri has asserted that he considers himself the voice of Hindus and has also described himself as a ‘psychiatrist of cinema.’
‘The Bengal Files’ is set to unveil the untold history of Bengal. When asked about the film during an interview, Agnihotri stated, “It is very important that I make this film, to make the youth aware, to give them knowledge. Also, the entire community gets a chance to express a generational trauma.”
Further elaborating, Agnihotri characterized himself as a ‘psychiatrist of cinema,’ referencing ‘The Kashmir Files.’ He remarked, “Acknowledging trauma is the first step towards healing. Through this film, I have worked as a psychiatrist for the entire Indian society. Ask any Kashmiri Pandit, and they will say, ‘Your film has started our healing.’ So yes, you can say that I am a psychiatrist.” With a laugh, the filmmaker added, “I am a filmmaker-psychiatrist.”
When asked if he considers himself the voice of Hindus, Agnihotri responded without hesitation, “Yes, why not? In fact, I think I am the voice of the entire Hindu civilization. I try to do this, and civilization doesn’t mean that everything is great and good. I want to talk about what went wrong in civilization or with civilization.”
Regarding why he makes films on Hindu history, Agnihotri explained, “People have been raising the issue of different communities and have been their voice. If someone makes films for the LGBT community, then they are their voice. I cannot make films on Islamic or Christian history because I do not know them well enough.” He added, “My access to Hindu history is greater than any other history. That’s why I make it.”
‘The Bengal Files’ is scheduled for release on September 5th and features Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumar, Simrat Kaur, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, and Namashi Chakraborty. Vivek Agnihotri has stated that his film will represent those unaware of Bengal’s ‘untold history.’