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Calcutta High Court questions West Bengal on restrictions to screening Vivek Agnihotri’s The Bengal Files, amid claims of political pressure and controversy over this film.
Critics who pan this film as an exercise in hate are missing the point or deliberately trying to avoid confronting an ugly and uncomfortable past.
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday asked the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government whether it has imposed any restrictions on the screening of Vivek Agnihotri-directed “The Bengal Files” in cinemas across the state.
A Division Bench of Justice Sujoy Pal and Justice Smita Das De was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by petitioner Sayan Kangsabanik, who has alleged that the film was released nationwide on September 5 after receiving clearance from the Censor Board, its screening in West Bengal has been stalled for unexplained reasons.
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In the petition, Kangsabanik, a resident of Nadia district, argued that watching a movie that has been cleared by the Censor Board is a fundamental right of citizens. It also said that the objection to the release of ‘The Bengal Files’ in the state amounts to creating obstacles in the way of the entertainment industry.
Meanwhile, when the filmmakers and director wrote to the state government, they were informed that no restrictions had been imposed by the state. However, Vivek Agnihotri has alleged that political pressure and intimidation by the ruling Trinamool Congress were behind what he called an “unofficial ban”.
The bench has urged the state to clarify its stand by next Friday.
Earlier this month, the Calcutta High Court dismissed a censorship request petition challenging the portrayal of freedom fighter Gopal Chandra Mukherjee alias ‘Gopal Patha’ in the movie.
The plea, filed by Mukherjee’s grandson, sought a High Court’s direction to the CBFC to launch a probe into “what standards were followed and which board members took part in evaluating the suitability of the movie”.
Mukherjee ran a goat meat shop in the 1940s at the Bowbazar area in central Kolkata.
The petitioner submitted that his grandfather was an eminent freedom fighter on whom the film was made.
Alleging that the filmmaker has depicted him as being involved in the events of August 16, 1946, he claimed that this is not true.
While dismissing the plea, Justice Amrita Sinha said it will be open for the petitioner to approach the competent forum for remedy in accordance with law if so advised.
What Is The Film About?
The film revisits the August 1946 Calcutta killings, which were triggered by the Muslim League’s call for Direct Action Day, leading to widespread communal violence, mass casualties, and eventually Mahatma Gandhi’s peace fast at Beleghata.
The film features Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Saswata Chatterjee, Darshan Kumarr and Sourav Das in leading roles. The movie is the third instalment of a trilogy, which includes Agnihotri’s ‘The Tashkent Files’ (2019) and ‘The Kashmir Files’ (2022).
About the Author
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More
September 23, 2025, 17:35 IST
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