On Friday, September 5th, the Indian box office saw a crowded field with two Bollywood and two Hollywood releases vying for viewership. ‘Baaghi 4’, starring Tiger Shroff and Sanjay Dutt, premiered alongside Vivek Agnihotri’s political drama, ‘The Bengal Files’. The mix included Hollywood’s ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ and another major international film.
Despite the lower pre-release buzz and mixed audience reactions, ‘Baaghi 4’ earned more than ‘The Bengal Files’. Below is a look at the performance of both Bollywood movies at the box office.
‘Baaghi 4’ had a decent opening, taking in an estimated Rs 12 crore net in India on its opening day. However, this figure was less than the previous installments in the franchise. ‘Baaghi 3’ had opened with Rs 17.5 crore on day one, and ‘Baaghi 2’ had a massive debut with Rs 25.10 crore. The original ‘Baaghi’ had also performed well, earning Rs 11.85 crore.
Directed by Kannada filmmaker A Harsha, ‘Baaghi 4’ marks his debut in Bollywood and is scheduled to be released on September 5, 2025. The film will also face competition at the box office.
The ‘Baaghi’ franchise began in 2016 with Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor. The first two films were successful, while ‘Baaghi 3’ received a lukewarm response, partly due to the impact of the pandemic on movie theaters.
‘The Bengal Files’, Vivek Agnihotri’s political drama featuring Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi and Darshan Kumaar, started slowly at the box office, earning approximately Rs 1.75 crore net in India on its opening day. Despite the pre-release discussions and the subject matter, the film did not draw large audiences on its first day.
The film’s release was surrounded by controversy, especially in West Bengal. At the Kolkata launch, the trailer was not played, and there were reports that no theaters in the state screened the movie. Director Vivek Agnihotri alleged that theater owners were pressured to avoid showing it. Actress Pallavi Joshi wrote an open letter to the President of India, calling it an “unofficial ban,” even though the censor board raised no objections.
‘The Bengal Files’ is written and directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri and produced by Abhishek Agarwal, Pallavi Joshi and Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri. It stars Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Anupam Kher, and Darshan Kumar. The film is a worldwide release by Zee Studios, and is presented by Tej Narayan Agarwal & I Am Buddha. The film is a part of Vivek’s ‘Files’ trilogy, which includes ‘The Kashmir Files’ and ‘The Tashkent Files’.