Vivek Agnihotri's The Bengal Files will remain unreleased in West Bengal? Moviegoers protest outside a theater
Vivek Agnihotri's The Bengal Files remains unreleased in West Bengal. The film hit theaters in other states on September 5.
Last Updated: 05.57 PM, Sep 06, 2025
After The Kashmir Files and The Tashkent Files, Vivek Agnihotri released the third film of his 'Files Trilogy,' titled The Bengal Files: Right To Life. The film has finally hit theatres on September 5, but is still banned in West Bengal. Agnihotri, on Saturday (September 6), took to social media to show everyone that moviegoers are protesting outside a theatre in West Bengal, and they are demanding the screening of The Bengal Files.
Massive crowd gathered in front of a theater in West Bengal
Vivek Agnihotri's The Bengal Files was released on Friday, September 5, 2025. The film has been released on big screens across the country, but it has been unofficially banned in West Bengal. Agnihotri took to his X account to inform everyone that moviegoers are protesting outside a theatre in West Bengal, and they are demanding the screening of The Bengal Files. A massive crowd gathered in front of Rupkotha Cinema in West Bengal.
He tweeted, "Finally, Bengalis in Bengal are protesting at cinema halls against the unofficial ban of #TheBengalFiles. You can also protest by tagging all big multiplex chains."
The Bengal Files is written and directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri and produced by Abhishek Agarwal, Pallavi Joshi and Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri. The film will land on ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium) after its theatrical run.
Pallavi Joshi appeals to President Murmu
Producer and actor Pallavi Joshi wrote an open letter to the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, seeking intervention and protection of her constitutional rights.
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."
She also added that theatre owners have told them they are being intimidated, threatened, and are refusing to screen it, fearing violence by ruling party workers. "There is no official ban, yet an unofficial ban silences the film before people can see it," she wrote.
More about The Bengal Files
The Bengal Files is a 2025 Indian political drama film directed by Vivek Agnihotri, focusing on the suppressed history of the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings and Noakhali riots. The film aims to depict these events as a genocide and highlight their historical neglect. The story stars Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar, Simrat Kaur, and Anupam Kher, among others.
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.