Delhi Files: Vivek Agnihotri shares BTS photos from India-Bangladesh border survey, says ‘Hindu cultural motifs are slowly fading away’

Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri is known for his commitment to in-depth research on any subject he takes up, and his upcoming film The Delhi Files is no exception. Currently in the research phase, Agnihotri is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to bring the realities of his film’s subject to the big screen. He recently took to social media to share exclusive behind-the-scenes (BTS) pictures from his visit to the India-Bangladesh border, giving fans a glimpse into the immersive prep work he is doing for the film.

Agnihotri’s visit to the border is part of a larger research effort to gather authentic insights, especially from people living on the Indian side of the India-Bangladesh border. In a detailed post, he shares his observations about the region, shedding light on the socio-political dynamics at work there. He wrote, “Six months ago, we were interviewing people on the Indian side of the India-Bangladesh border as part of research for my upcoming film #TheDelhiFiles. I found that these villagers were more aware of Bangladeshi politics than the Hindus. They knew that there was going to be a revolt against Haseena. And they all supported it. It is almost impossible to tell who is a Hindu and who is not on this border. All the motifs of Hindu culture are slowly disappearing. It seems that there are still ‘Two Indias’ in India. This is what ‘forced demographic change’ is doing to the region: Two nations. Two constitutions. West Bengal is very vulnerable and the current government is using the “demographic changes” to its advantage by creating vote banks out of them. One of the reasons she was so opposed to CAA and NRC is that political violence has become a major money-making industry in Bengal.”

The post generated a lot of interest, with many appreciating Agnihotri’s commitment to portraying complex historical and social realities in his films.

Agnihotri’s research journey for The Delhi Files began in 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown. Since then, he has crisscrossed India, from Kerala to Kolkata to Delhi, gathering comprehensive information for his film. His research included reading over 100 books, 200 articles, and going through over 7,000 research sites and over 1,000 archival documents. Apart from literature, Agnihotri and his team visited over 20 states in India, interviewing locals and documenting the changing socio-political landscape that will be the focal point of his film.

The Delhi Files follows the success of The Kashmir Files, which was widely acclaimed for its powerful portrayal of historical events. Agnihotri is once again collaborating with prolific producer Abhishek Agarwal under the banner of Abhishek Agarwal Arts for his upcoming project.