Kolkata Chaos: The Bengal Files Movie Trailer Launch Disrupted, Director Alleges “Dictatorship”
The Bengal Files movie trailer
What was planned as a routine film promotion turned into a political storm in Kolkata on Saturday, when filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri alleged that the West Bengal government disrupted the trailer launch of his upcoming film, The Bengal Files.
The incident, which saw police intervention, sparked a heated exchange between Agnihotri and Kolkata Police officers and has quickly snowballed into a BJP vs TMC political flashpoint.
🎥 What Happened at The Bengal Files Movie Trailer?
- The Bengal Files Movie Trailer launch was initially scheduled at a leading multiplex, but Agnihotri claimed the venue was cancelled due to political pressure.
- The team relocated the event to a five-star hotel banquet hall, only to face another disruption.
- “All permissions were in place. This is a CBFC-approved trailer. Yet, police entered and stopped the screening midway. This is dictatorship, this is fascism,” Agnihotri said.
Eyewitness videos showed police allegedly stopping the screening, seizing equipment, and cutting wires. Police officials refused to comment, saying senior authorities would address the matter.
🎞️ About the Film
- The Bengal Files explores Direct Action Day and the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings.
- The film features Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi.
- Scheduled release date: September 5, 2025.
- Agnihotri’s earlier film The Kashmir Files (2022) created a nationwide eye-opener, and his new project seems set to spark another.
🗣️ Political Fallout
- BJP Reaction:
Union Minister & Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar condemned the episode, calling it “a shameful episode that shatters every limit of democratic decency.” - TMC Counterattack:
Spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya dismissed it as a publicity stunt: “People of Bengal are not interested in propaganda films.”
Leader Kunal Ghosh accused Agnihotri of being a “puppet of the BJP” and challenged him to make a “Gujarat Files or Manipur Files instead.”
🎭 Voices from the Film
Actress and co-producer Pallavi Joshi expressed outrage:
“Such a thing didn’t happen even in Kashmir. Is there freedom of expression in Bengal? What threat are they feeling from a film?”
✍️ Author’s View: Beyond Politics, A Forgotten Truth
The political drama surrounding The Bengal Files Movie Trailer is another chapter in India’s never-ending cycle of controversies. Yet, for the common man, already burdened by middle-class struggles, justice often feels like a distant luxury. Speaking out comes with risks, and silence becomes the safer choice.
In Bengal, citizens may choose not to engage with the movie at all — either due to political pressure, affiliations, or fear of backlash. But this should not obscure the dark historical truth of Direct Action Day. On August 16, 1946, the streets of Kolkata witnessed one of the largest genocides of Hindus, known as the Great Calcutta Killings.
The then Premier of Bengal, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy — infamously remembered as the “Butcher of Bengal” — was in power when thousands of innocent Hindus were massacred, and no central leader dared to stand for the oppressed.
Whether The Bengal Files is viewed as cinema, propaganda, or a political tool, for Bengalis, it should serve as a reminder of history. Knowing what happened is not a matter of choice — it is a duty. The sacrifices of those who perished in 1946 are the reason we still live in a free Bengal today.
Let the politicians play their drama. But let the people take cognisance of truth and history — even if the present prefers to silence it.
🧭 What’s Next after The Bengal Files Movie Trailer?
- Agnihotri vowed to take legal action, hinting at the Supreme Court if needed.
- The Calcutta High Court has already granted interim protection against FIRs filed over the film.
- The controversy has inadvertently boosted buzz for the movie ahead of its September release.
🎬 Final Cut
The disruption of the Bengal Files Movie Trailer launch has turned a film promotion into a political battlefield. Whether the movie fosters dialogue or fuels polarisation, one thing is certain: in Bengal, cinema has become a powerful weapon of political narratives.
The Bengal Files Movie Trailer
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