The Bengal Files: Controversies & Chaos Before Its Release In Theatres
Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s upcoming film The Bengal Files, the third and final part of his Files Trilogy, is scheduled to release in theatres across India tomorrow, September 5.
But on the eve of its release, the political drama is already mired in legal battles, family objections, and political controversy, echoing the storm that surrounded Vivek Agnihotri’s previous project, The Kashmir Files (2022).
The Bengal Files is a 204-minute-long Hindi-language political drama, one of the longest Indian films in recent memory. Directed and written by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Abhishek Agarwal, Pallavi Joshi, and Agnihotri himself, the movie has been distributed by Zee Studios.
The film is set against the backdrop of the 1946 Calcutta riots, also known as Direct Action Day, and the subsequent Noakhali riots. It seeks to portray these events as “suppressed chapters of Indian history” and frames them as a genocide that shaped India’s path to independence and Partition.
The ensemble cast includes Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar, Anupam Kher, Saswata Chatterjee, Namashi Chakraborty, Puneet Issar, and Sourav Das, among others.
The loudest opposition has come from the family of Gopal Chandra Mukherjee, popularly known as Gopal Patha. Shantanu Mukherjee, his grandson, has moved the Calcutta High Court demanding a stay on the release in West Bengal, claiming that his grandfather has been shown in a “ghastly and dishonourable” manner.
The case will be heard by Justice Amrita Sinha on Monday, though the film is set to release before that. Shantanu’s counsel, Advocate Debanjan Mukherjee, also raised questions about Vivek Agnihotri’s role in the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), asking how he could simultaneously serve as a board member and run a production house.
In August, Shantanu had also lodged a police complaint against Agnihotri, accusing him of using derogatory terms about his grandfather, calling him a “butcher,” and failing to seek family permission.
Also, read| Blog| The Bengal Files: History Or Propaganda? Why Vivek Agnihotri Is Repeating His Old Playbook
The film’s troubles began even before its release. On August 16, at a Kolkata hotel, the trailer launch was abruptly halted by police. Agnihotri alleged that Kolkata Police had stopped the screening for “political reasons” at the last moment, questioning if Bengal had a “special constitution.” Police sources, however, clarified that the organisers did not have the required amusement licence for the event.
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?But I can’t be silenced. Because truth can’t be silenced.
ट्रेलर तो कोलकाता में ही लांच होगा।
Pl share this video and support… pic.twitter.com/xraD7w9sRb
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) August 15, 2025
Adding to the chaos, actor Saswata Chatterjee distanced himself from the controversy, saying he was not aware that the film’s title had been changed from The Delhi Files to The Bengal Files. He emphasised that as an actor, his responsibility was limited to his role, not historical interpretation.
Producer and actress Pallavi Joshi countered his claims, suggesting Chatterjee may have faced political pressure and clarifying that the film was always intended to focus on Bengal’s history.
Similarly, Sourav Das, who plays Gopal Patha, also tried to distance himself, saying he only knew about his character and not the full script. At the same time, he urged audiences to treat cinema as art rather than through political or ideological lenses.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has given The Bengal Files an “A” certificate due to its graphic depiction of violence and gore. The film’s runtime makes it an unusually long theatrical experience.
Agnihotri has positioned The Bengal Files as the concluding chapter of his Files Trilogy, following The Tashkent Files (2019) and The Kashmir Files (2022).
While the first two films courted massive debates on political history and collective memory, The Bengal Files now faces the legal and social scrutiny of people, calling it a propaganda movie.
Agnihotri has repeatedly appealed to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee not to ban the film, insisting that it is a “work of art and historical storytelling, not a tool for division.” Actor Victor Banerjee even urged the President of India to ensure the film’s peaceful release and to safeguard the rights of both artists and audiences.
Producer of #TheBengalFiles, Pallavi Joshi, writes an open letter to the President of India:
URGENT APPEAL:
Your Excellency, @rashtrapatibhvn,“As Producer of #TheBengalFiles, I am pained that multiplex chains in Bengal have refused the film’s release under political pressure… pic.twitter.com/ERTLvqxp3y
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) September 4, 2025
Still, with Shantanu Mukherjee’s petition pending and the film accused of “misrepresenting history,” the controversies show no sign of easing.
