Kolkata: Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has once again triggered a political and cultural storm with his upcoming movie The Bengal Files. The trailer, released on August 16, was marred by disruptions, with police halting its screening at a Kolkata hotel. Agnihotri accused authorities of “suppressing his voice” and alleged that the film faced obstruction due to “political pressure.”
The movie revisits the 1946 communal riots in Bengal during Direct Action Day, using violent visuals and dramatized narratives. It features the controversial portrayal of Gopal Mukherjee, known as ‘Patha.’ The trailer shows him inciting violence with communal rhetoric and attacking people with a knife. His grandson, Santanu Mukherjee, has filed a legal complaint, calling the depiction false and defamatory. He asserted that Gopal saved Muslim families during the riots and never encouraged communal killings.
Agnihotri defended his work, claiming the film presents Gopal as a hero and cited material from a BBC interview. He also alleged that criticism from Gopal’s descendants is politically motivated, linking them to the Trinamool Congress.
The film’s title has also raised debate. Originally called Delhi Files: The Bengal Chapter, it was later shortened. Critics argue the name change is aimed at influencing Bengal’s political landscape, while members of the ruling TMC called the movie a “pre-election assignment.”
This controversy mirrors the backlash over Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files, accused of promoting a divisive narrative. With its release scheduled for September 5, The Bengal Files is expected to reignite heated discussions on cinema, politics, and communal history.
