Guwahati: Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s upcoming movie The Bengal Files, slated for release on September 5, has run into controversy in West Bengal, where multiplex owners have allegedly declined to screen the film.
On Thursday, the film’s producer and actor Pallavi Joshi addressed an open letter to President Droupadi Murmu, urging intervention to safeguard her constitutional rights. She also tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in her appeal.
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In her letter, Joshi alleged that the film has faced political resistance for years, including FIRs, blocked trailers, and refusal of newspapers to carry advertisements. She claimed theatre owners in Bengal were being “threatened and intimidated” into not screening the film despite no official ban being imposed.
The Bengal Files, the final installment of Agnihotri’s “Files Trilogy,” explores the violence of Direct Action Day, the Noakhali massacre, and the Partition of Bengal. Joshi described it as “cinema of truth” and appealed to the President to ensure its release without fear or obstruction.
The film features an ensemble cast including Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Simrat Kaur, Saswata Chatterjee, Namashi Chakraborty, Rajesh Khera, Puneet Issar, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Sourav Das, and Mohan Kapur.
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The controversy deepened after Kolkata Police recently disrupted the film’s trailer launch event in the city, heightening concerns over its release in the state.