Actress Pallavi Joshi on her role in The Bengal Files: "We worked on the look for almost 6 months"

Pallavi is widely renowned for her portrayals of strong and emotionally complex characters, assumes the part of Ma Bharati.

Actress-turned-producer Pallavi Joshi is all set to make a powerful comeback to the big screen with her significant role in the much-awaited film The Bengal Files, directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri.

Co-produced by Abhishek Agarwal and Joshi herself, the film delves into the overlooked and complex chapters of Indian history, continuing the impactful narrative tradition established by Agnihotri’s earlier works.

Pallavi, who is renowned for her portrayals of strong and emotionally complex characters, assumes the part of Ma Bharati, a symbol of the country's kindness, purity, and unwavering spirit. But bringing this symbolic character to life wasn't without its difficulties.

She said, “This was one of the biggest challenges. It’s difficult to look so old. Most prosthetics made me look scary. And that was our biggest challenge. The idea was for her to look innocent and lovable. Ma Bharati needed to be warm and approachable,” Joshi shared in a statement. “My only reference was my dadi. I remember her very old but very sweet at the same time. We worked on the look for almost 6 months. I gave up all skin care during this period to make my skin appear dry. Every day I sat down working on Ma Bharati’s character, her dementia, until it became a muscle memory. Our technical team also put their efforts into helping me to their fullest. And the end result is for all to see.”

Written and directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, The Bengal Files is the most recent in his critically acclaimed "Files" trilogy, which also includes the powerful The Kashmir Files and The Tashkent Files. The film, which is supported by producers Abhishek Agarwal and Pallavi Joshi, has an amazing ensemble cast that includes Darshan Kumar, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, and Mithun Chakraborty.

The film, which is slated to release in theatres on September 5, 2025, and stars Tej Narayan Agarwal and I Am Buddha, is expected to carry on the trilogy's tradition of harsh, socially conscious narrative.