Kolkata | August 16, 2025 — The trailer launch of filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s upcoming film The Bengal Files was disrupted in Kolkata on Saturday, sparking a fresh political row between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The event, initially planned at a multiplex, was shifted to a five-star hotel after the first venue allegedly cancelled the screening on Friday. However, midway through the launch at the hotel, Kolkata Police intervened, halting the screening.
Director’s Strong Reaction
Agnihotri, visibly upset, told reporters:
“All cameras have captured how a CBFC-approved trailer was stopped despite having all permissions. It was being shown in a private hotel banquet. This is anarchy, this is dictatorship, this is fascism.”
The filmmaker alleged the police acted under “political pressure” and accused the state of trying to silence him. A police officer present at the venue declined to comment, saying senior officials would respond.
Background of the Film
Written and directed by Agnihotri, The Bengal Files focuses on the events of Direct Action Day and the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings. The film stars Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi and is slated for release on September 5, 2025.
Earlier this month, Agnihotri had claimed multiple FIRs were filed against him and the film by the West Bengal government, though the Calcutta High Court granted an interim stay on those cases.
His previous film, The Kashmir Files (2022), also generated controversy during its release.
Political Reactions
The disruption quickly turned into a flashpoint between rival parties.
BJP state president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar condemned the incident, calling it “a shameful episode that shatters democratic decency” and described West Bengal as being ruled under “jungle-raj and authoritarian arrogance.”
The TMC, however, dismissed the allegations. Party spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya said:
“Earlier, The Kashmir Files was released and BJP still lost the assembly elections there. Now they are trying the same formula with The Bengal Files. People of Bengal are not interested in such films. This drama is only to grab media attention.”
Source: Hindustan Times
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