Bengal files line explained: Why Vivek Agnihotri’s film is facing backlash
Vivek Agnihotri’s film ‘The Bengal Files’ has shook the controversy over his depiction of the 1946 riots. The film said about historical accuracy and depiction of major data, with legal notices and public debate, it is intensifying before its September release.
In short
- ‘The Bengal Files’ trailer launch was canceled in Kolkata Cinema under political pressure
- The film consists of 1946 great Calcutta murders and Nokhali riots based on real incidents.
- Officials cited lack of entertainment license to intervene in trailer screening
Vivek Agnihotri unveiled the trailer of ‘The Bengal files’ in Kolkata on 16 August and suddenly stopped the incident. However, the trailer launch event was married by controversy, the director alleged that the authorities tried to block the release of the trailer.
What is ‘Bengal Files’?
The film, titled ‘Delhi Files’ first, investigated communal violence in Bengal during the 1940s, focusing on the great Calcutta killings (direct action days) and Nokhali riots. The Calcutta riots of August 16, 1946 were triggered by the call of the All-India Muslim League for ‘Direct Action Day’ to demand a separate Muslim homeland after exiting the British. This led to widespread violence, mainly the Hindu population was targeted in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Communal riots, which lasted for four days, claimed that thousands of people were injured and 10,000 people lost their lives.
‘The Bengal Files’ is the third film in Agnihotri’s ‘Files’ Trillji, after ‘The Teshant Files’ and ‘The Kashmir Files’. Written and directed by Agnihotri, the film is co-produced by Abhishek Aggarwal and Pallavi Joshi. It consists of Mithun Chakraborty, Saswata Chatterjee, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Priyanshu Chatterjee and Darshan Kumar, and slate to hit theaters on 5 September.
Why did the trailer launch event stop?
The ‘The Bengal Files’ trailer launch was originally to be unveiled in a major cinema hall in Kolkata. However, the theater series canceled the incident, allegedly under ‘political pressure’. It was later transferred to a hotel and finally unveiled at 1 pm. Agnihotri accused West Bengal officials of creating a hurdles.
A senior Kolkata Police official today spoke to India about the case and shared that the organizers have not obtained an entertainment license, which is mandatory for hosting such a screening. “The organizers had not obtained the necessary license from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, nor did they already inform the local police. We learned about the incident through other sources. When asked, the organizers were unable to produce the required license, so we had to intervene,” the official said.
Speaking about similar in the Delhi press conference, Pallavi Joshi said, “Because the story lies in Bengal, we felt that it would be best suitable to launch the trailer in Bengal, but the government silenced us. We think it is a task that is not only arbitrary, but also unconstitutional.”
He said, “What happened that day, it was not only an attack on the film, but an attack on democracy. People’s voices were suppressed. The government proved that our theme is correct,” he said.
Row on illustration of Gopal Chandra Mukherjee
Apart from this theme, the film has also created controversy over his depiction of Gopal Chandra Mukherjee. Mukherjee was a famous Bengali fighter who played an important role in resistance against Muslim mob violence in the 1946 riots. His grandson, Santanu Mukherjee, has filed a police complaint against Agnihotri, alleging that the film deforms his grandfather’s identity.
Santanu has sent a legal notice to the director, demanding an apology for the perceived deformity of his grandfather’s character. He claims that the depiction of the film is not only wrong, but also sad for family and community.
Reacting to Santanu’s legal action, Vivek Agnihotri said, “He works with TMC and he is doing what is mandatory for him.
Speaking to the media in Delhi, he shared that he portrayed Gopal Mukherjee as a hero. “He was a hero. I have shown him as a hero in the film. I have taken a small part from my interview with the BBC, and took what he has said. I know that the people of Bengal consider him as a hero, and so I have shown him,” he said.
Title change sparks debate
Adding the controversy, actor Sasavata Chatterjee, who plays an important role in the film, shared that he was unaware of the title change. “While the shooting was going on, the name of the film was Delhi files and after the shooting, I came to know that the name was changed to Bengal files. It is not in my hands. I will not understand why it happened, until I watch the film,” he told YouTube channel The Wall.
Chatterjee also removed himself from the historic debate, stating that he is not a historian, but just an actor. He emphasized that he cannot investigate the historical facts of a story. “I am just an actor. I liked a character and I played it. I am not a historian to think about what history says and it is distorting history. It is not my job. If people who feel that Bengal feels that Bengal feels that Bengal is believing, they can go to court with information. There is no meaning to make noise.”
‘The Bengal Files’ has been slated for a dramatic release on 5 September 2025.