Vivek Agnihotri on The Bengal Files' first screening at Kolkata: 'It is a matter of great joy but...'

Vivek Agnihotri's The Bengal Files was released in cinemas on September 5, excluding West Bengal. After a lot of requests, the film was screened at the National Library of India, Kolkata.

Vivek Agnihotri | Saswata Chatterjee in The Bengal Files

After The Kashmir Files and The Tashkent Files Vivek Agnihotri's third film of his 'Files Trilogy,' titled The Bengal Files: Right To Life, hit theaters on September 5, excluding West Bengal. While the film has been released worldwide, exhibitors in West Bengal have refrained from screening it in theatres due to political pressure. This led to a significant moment where the makers, the audience, and other authorities demanded their right from the government to allow the film to be screened in West Bengal. But the film has finally been screened at The National Library of India, Kolkata. Here's how Vivek Agnihotri reacted to it.

Vivek Agnihotri on The Bengal Files' screening at Kolkata

As The Bengal Files was screened at The National Library of India, Kolkata, on September 13, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri was seen talking about the same. He said, “It is a matter of great joy that this film is being screened at the National Library. However, it is also disheartening that, despite being set in Bengal, people of the state are being prevented from watching the movie.”

About The Bengal Files

The Bengal Files is a 2025 Indian political drama film that focuses on the Direct Action Day and Noakhali riots, portraying the events as a 'genocide' that was deliberately ignored by history. Written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, the film stars Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar, Anupam Kher, and Simrat Kaur.

Pallavi Joshi appeals to President Murmu

Producer and actor Pallavi Joshi penned an open letter to the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, seeking intervention and protection of her constitutional rights.

Also Read: The Bengal Files OTT Release Date: When and where to watch Vivek Agnihotri's film on 'Hindu genocide' after its theatrical run

Sharing the letter via Instagram, Pallavi captioned it as: "URGENT APPEAL Your Excellency, @presidentofindia, As Producer of #TheBengalFiles, I am pained that multiplex chains in Bengal have refused the film’s release under political pressure and threats by the ruling party. I plead for your intervention to uphold my constitutional rights and ensure its release in Bengal."

She also tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

In her letter, Pallavi wrote, "Respected Madam President, With a heavy heart, I reach out to you, not for favours, but for protection. The Bengal Files, the final part of the Files Trilogy, releases on 5th September. It tells the long-suppressed truth of the Hindu genocide of Direct Action Day, the horrors of Noakhali, and the trauma of Partition. But in West Bengal, truth is under siege. Years before completion, the Chief Minister mocked the film. Since then, baseless FIRs have been filed, our trailer was blocked by police, and even newspapers avoid carrying ads. My family is threatened every day by political party workers."

Pallavi also said that theater owners have told them that they are being intimidated, threatened, and are refusing to screen it for fear of violence from ruling party activists. "There is no official ban, yet an unofficial ban silences the film before people can see it," she wrote.

Meanwhile, after its theatrical run, The Bengal Files will land on ZEE5 and OTTplay Premium.

FAQs

Q: What is the Bengal Files movie based on?

A: The Bengal Files portrays the communal violence that occurred in Bengal, specifically focusing on Direct Action Day (1946) and its aftermath. The film is based on the real-life events of the 1946 Calcutta killings, also known as the Great Calcutta Killings, and the subsequent violence that spread to other parts of the Bengal Presidency, including the Noakhali riots and Tipperah (Comilla).

Q: Who directs The Bengal Files?

A: The Bengal Files is directed by Vivek Agnihotri.

Q: Are The Kashmir Files and The Bengal Files connected?

A: The Bengal Files: Right to Life, initially titled The Delhi Files: The Bengal Story, is the third story after Vivek Agnihotri's The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files. It follows a different storyline.

Q: Is The Bengal Files on OTT?

A: The Bengal Files will land on ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium) after its theatrical run.

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