Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri opened up on the cancellation of the trailer launch event of ‘The Bengal Files’ by a leading movie theatre chain and why he decided to unveil the trailer today, August 16.
Speaking to media, he said, “Mai America se aaya aur seedhe Kolkata pahucha kyunki trailer launch tha and movie trailers are generally launched in theatres; however, when I reached the airport, I came to know that one of the largest multiplex chains said that they can’t do it because there is a lot of political pressure and if they do it, there will be a political turmoil. So we spoke to another multiplex, they also said that ‘sorry sir’, there is a lot of political pressure, we can’t do it’. If we had known this from the start, why would we have taken on so many teams and actors and spent so much money to come here..”
The film explores the communal violence in undivided Bengal during the 1940s, including events like 1946 Direct Action Day and the Noakhali riots of 1946, a Hindu genocide.
He added, “Aur Direct Action Day,.. Hindu genocide, Murshidabad riots suki film ka trailer kahan launch hona chahiye, Kolkata mein hi hona chahiye..par mai bhi harne vaalon se nahi hu..to aisa pehli baar ho raha hai mera ye andaaz hai ki film ka trailer theatre ki jagah hotel ke banquet hall mein..but mai janna chahta hu hamari awaaz dabane ki koshish kyu ho rahi hai..(And where should the trailer of the film dealing with Direct Action Day, Hindu genocide, Murshidabad riots, be launched.. It should be launched in Kolkata only, but I’m not one of the losers, so this is happening for the first time, I guess that the trailer of the film is being launched in the banquet hall of a hotel instead of a theatre..to hamari awaaz ko dabane ki koshish kyu ki ja rahi hai (but I want to know why efforts are being made to suppress our voice..)
The ace director asked the authorities the reason for cancelling his trailer launch event, saying, “On one hand, so many multiple FIRs are being filed against me. The members of the ruling party are doing it. It’s not that an ordinary person is doing it. Those people are doing it. The Chief Minister of Kolkata, when we announced the movie years ago, threatened that we won’t let the Bengal Files enter here. So what is the government afraid of? What is the issue in this movie?..”
He continued, “Why is Bengal Files being called a bold movie because people are afraid. They know that if they make a movie like this, then governments will stop it, political parties will stop it, FIR will be filed. No one does it out of fear. And secondly, people are afraid to talk about Hindu-Muslim issues in India. But even though it is an issue, why did the partition of India happen?
On talking about the reason to do the event on August 16 and what actually happened, he shared, “In the partition of India, there was one party, the Muslim League. Unhone kaha hum yudh ladenge aur cheen lenge (They said that we will fight a war and take it away.)..aur us yudh ko ladne ke liye, Direct Action Day, jo Ramzaan ka athvan din tha us din ko taye kiya gaya ( And to fight that war, Direct Action Day, which was the 8th day of Ramzaan, was decided). Within two days, 40,000 people were killed..There are headlines of Amrita Bazaar Patrika. I have a photo of it, which we have shown in movies. It was the main oldest newspaper here. There was so much genocide jiski vajah se Bhaarat haara aur Pakistan jeeta..usko rokne ki koshish kyu ki ja rahi hai..16 August Bharat ke ithihaas ka sabse dardnaak din hai..”
Earlier, Agnihotri stated that the trailer launch of ‘The Bengal Files’ was cancelled by a leading movie theatre chain.”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,” he wrote on X in a strong-worded post.
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
In the video, Agnihotri alleged that the trailer launch was cancelled due to “political pressure and said it is “very sad commentary on our democracy.”
Written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, ‘The Bengal Files’ features actors Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi. It is focused on the events of the “Direct Action Day,” aiming to unveil the “most brutal chapter” of Indian history. A poster of the film was unveiled on Friday morning, promising to deliver the “boldest film.”
‘The Bengal Files’ is slated to hit theatres on September 5, 2025.
(with inputs from ANI)
