Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri's The Bengal Files took a slow start at the box office, opening with Rs 1.63 crore (India net) on its first day, compared to his 2022 release The Kashmir Files, which had collected Rs 3.55 crore on its opening day. The director has now revealed that he is struggling financially, sharing that he had to borrow money to travel to Delhi for the film's promotions, adding that his biggest challenge is money as 'nobody backs our film until the last minute.'
Vivek Agnihotri Admits Financial Struggles
He told Galatta Plus that all the money he earned from The Kashmir Files was invested in making The Bengal Files. "I don’t know what will happen to me after this [financially]. The problem is that our ambition is to create something which is [worth] Rs 100 crore but we have very small money so we have to look after every penny and do things faster so that we finish shoot in lesser days," added Vivek.
Vivek Reveals Struggles Making Films On Uncomfortable Truths
Further, Vivek said that ever since he started telling uncomfortable truths through his films, he has been struggling. He recalled facing challenges with Buddha in a Traffic Jam, The Tashkent Files, and The Kashmir Files, adding that financial issues continue even today. He revealed that he was recently discussing how to borrow money just to fly to Delhi and promote The Bengal Files.
Vivek Agnihotri Commits To The Bengal Files Sequel
Vivek shared that the sequel of the film depends on the box office performance of The Bengal Files, but assured that even if it earns only 'a little money,' he will still go ahead with its second part.
Vivek Says The Bengal Files Made With Kashmir Files Profits
The filmmaker added, "We made The Kashmir Files on a budget of Rs 15 crore. We earned Rs 30 crore from that film. We invested it in The Bengal Files. We also borrowed some money to make this film which is yet to be paid."
The Bengal Files stars Mithun Chakraborty, Simran Khan, Pallavi Joshi, Anupam Kher, Simratt Kaur and Darshan Kumarr.
