Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has appealed to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to ensure the smooth release of his latest film, 'The Bengal Files'. Agnihotri alleges that workers from the Trinamool Congress are threatening cinema owners to prevent the movie from being screened.
Agnihotri's film is the final instalment in his 'Files' trilogy, following 'The Tashkent Files' (2019) and 'The Kashmir Files' (2022). This new film revisits the communal riots that occurred in Kolkata in August 1946, a period historically referred to as 'Direct Action Day'.
In a video message posted on X (formerly Twitter), Agnihotri made a "folded hands" appeal to Banerjee, urging her not to "suppress an important part of history". He stated that he was receiving reports from theatre owners in the state who were being threatened, and he reminded the Chief Minister of her constitutional duty to protect freedom of speech.
"You have taken an oath on the Indian Constitution to protect the rights of every citizen, the right of free speech, and it is your responsibility to see to it that the film does not face any disruption," he said. He also pointed out that the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) had already cleared the film for release.
Agnihotri argued against the notion of not reopening historical wounds, asking, “If a Japanese child should know about Hiroshima and Nagasaki holocausts, why not the new generation be made aware of an important part of the state's and nation's history?”
He also addressed the incident on August 17, when the film’s trailer launch at a five-star hotel in the city was physically stopped, which he described as an attack on freedom of expression.
'The Bengal Files' is scheduled to be released this Friday and features a cast including Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Saswata Chatterjee, and Darshan Kumarr.
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