August 17, 2025

Kolkata saw an unexpected twist during the trailer launch of the film The Bengal Files! What was supposed to be a grand affair at a five-star hotel turned into chaos when the screening was suddenly stopped. The film's director, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, did not hold back and loudly called this move “dictatorship and fascism.” Agnihotri told the media, “All the (media) cameras have captured how a Central Board of Film Certification-approved film’s trailer was stopped. We have got all the permissions. It was being screened in a private place (hotel banquet). This is anarchy, this is dictatorship, this is fascism.” Initially, the trailer launch was set for a top multiplex in Kolkata but was mysteriously cancelled. The news hit the Director right after he landed in Kolkata, prompting him to tweet, “Just landed in Kolkata and learnt that the venue for the trailer launch of #TheBengalFiles is cancelled. Who wants to suppress our voice? And why?” On Saturday, as the trailer played in a hotel, police officers stopped the event halfway. Agnihotri could be seen arguing with the Kolkata Police officials. He claimed, “The trailer was stopped by the police due to political pressure. Why is the voice of the filmmaker being stifled? Ask him why it was stopped,” while pointing to a police officer. The police officer stayed silent, saying his seniors would comment later. Even Meeraj Khalid, joint commissioner of police, did not respond to calls or messages. The Bengal Files is written and directed by Agnihotri himself. It dives deep into the dark days of Direct-Action Day and the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings. Fans can expect its release on September 5. The star cast includes Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi. This isn't Agnihotri's first controversy; his previous film, The Kashmir Files, stirred debates in 2022. Earlier this month, Agnihotri revealed that the West Bengal government filed several FIRs against him and his new film. The Calcutta High Court has temporarily stayed those FIRs. On August 5, he tweeted fiercely, “Multiple FIRs have been filed against me by the West Bengal govt for making #TheBengalFiles. The Hon’ble High Court has stayed them. Why do they want to silence us? Why are they so scared of the truth? I will not be silenced.” The trailer disruption ignited a fiery war of words between West Bengal's ruling party Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sukanta Majumdar, union minister and state BJP president, blasted the incident on X, saying, “In the land of the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray, West Bengal has once again witnessed a shameful episode that shatters every limit of democratic decency. Words are simply inadequate to condemn what has just taken place.” Majumdar didn’t stop there, adding, “This is not merely disgraceful—it is yet another chilling reminder of how Bengal today is being ruled under jungle-raj, anarchy, and authoritarian arrogance, intoxicated with the politics of appeasement. I strongly and unequivocally condemn this despicable act. Today, not only Bengal but the entire nation has seen how a filmmaker and his team of artists were insulted and humiliated in broad daylight.” On the other hand, TMC spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya fired back, saying, “Earlier a film named The Kashmir Files was launched and BJP lost the assembly elections there. Now they are making The Bengal Files. People of the state are not interested in such films. They know it very well and that’s why they are creating a ruckus to get media attention.” The Bengal Files trailer launch saga is more than just a film event — it's a fiery clash of politics, art, and freedom of expression, keeping Kolkata on its toes!

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Tags: The bengal files, Vivek ranjan agnihotri, Trailer launch, Kolkata, Film controversy, Censor board,