Vivek Agnihotri urges CM Mamata Banerjee to allow The Bengal Files screening in West Bengal: 'Its not about hatred but truth and healing'

Vivek Agnihotri's The Bengal Files is set to hit cinemas on September 5. Ahead of it, the filmmaker sent an urgent message to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to allow the screening in her state.

Vivek Agnihotri, Still from The Bengal Files trailer

Ever since the trailer for The Bengal Files dropped, the film has been facing controversy, especially in West Bengal. The Bengal Files: Right To Life is the third film in Vivek Agnihotri's 'Files Trilogy', which also includes The Kashmir Files and The Tashkent Files. Now, the filmmaker has made a public appeal to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, urging her not to ban his upcoming film, The Bengal Files.

Vivek Agnihotri appeals to West CM Mamata Banerjee

On September 2, Vivek Agnihotri took to his X account and shared a video where he directly appealed to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to allow his film, The Bengal Files, to screen in her state. He said, "The film is not about hatred but truth and healing."

Vivek also said that the film is a work of art and historical storytelling, not a tool for division. He appealed to Banerjee, saying that freedom of expression is the cornerstone of democracy and the audience should be given the right to decide for themselves.

Addressing her directly in a video, Agnihotri urged the West Bengal CM to not look at the film as a Bengali, but as a citizen of India. “URGENT: An open appeal to Hon’ble CM @MamataOfficial. Please listen till the end and share widely as your protest against banning of a film on Hindu Genocide. #TheBengalFiles In cinemas 05 September 2025 (sic)." Take a look at the video here:

Also Read: The Bengal Files Trailer OUT: Vivek Agnihotri's film delves into Direct Action Day and the 1946 Calcutta Killings

About The Bengal Files

The Bengal Files is a 2025 political drama film by Vivek Agnihotri about the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings and Noakhali riots, depicting the violence as a suppressed genocide. The cast includes Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar, and Anupam Kher. The film's theme revolves around the claim that these historical events were ignored and explores the enduring impact of the 1947 Partition and communal politics in India.

The story focuses on the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings and the Noakhali riots, events that preceded the Partition of India. The film portrays these incidents as a genocide and claims that the historical narrative surrounding them has been deliberately suppressed.

Written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, The Bengal Files will hit theaters on September 5, 2025.

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.

Share