Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film The Bengal Files, recently shared his views on corruption in India. During one of his interviews, the director highlighted that corruption is the root cause of several issues plaguing the country.
When asked what he would like to change about India, during a candid conversation with Curly Tales, Agnihotri replied, "I don’t want to change, but improve."
He elaborated further, stating, "India can become the world's No.1 country sirf corruption khatam karna hai (only if corruption ends). Roads are bad, there is pollution, hospitals don't function properly...all because of corruption. If you look closely, India has wider roads than Europe and America, there are trees planted along the sides, even signboards are there… but because of corruption, 70 per cent of things don't function properly."
Agnihotri also pointed out how corruption affects even basic infrastructure. "There are potholes everywhere, if you walk on footpaths you don't know when you might trip. Even signboards, which are meant to guide, are often tilted or covered with posters of politicians. That is the problem," he said.
The filmmaker, who is known for making politically and socially charged films, stressed that eliminating corruption could help India unlock its full potential.
Meanwhile, on the work front, The Bengal Files is his next directorial venture after The Kashmir Files and The Vaccine War, which had sparked major discussions nationwide.
About The Bengal Files
The film is set against the blood-soaked backdrop of West Bengal's violent political past. It presents a narrative drawn from real incidents and testimonies, focusing on accounts of violence in Bengal that, as the film suggests, have not been widely discussed in mainstream discourse.
Set against visuals of conflict and silence, the film attempts to explore themes of communal tension, political narratives, and historical memory.
The Bengal Files is written and directed by Agnihotri and produced by Abhishek Agarwal, Pallavi Joshi and Agnihotri. It stars Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Anupam Kher, Simratt Kaur and Darshan Kumarr.
The film is all set to hit the big screens on September 5, 2025.
