Bengal Files producer seeks Prez's intervention after film fails to secure any screen in West Bengal

Kolkata, Sep 4 (PTI) Producers of 'The Bengal Files' sought President Droupadi Murmu's intervention with the film, which is slated to release on Friday, failing to secure any screens in West Bengal.

A petition was, meanwhile, moved before the Calcutta High Court by the grandson of Gopal Chandra Mukherjee seeking a stay on the release of the film, claiming that the protagonist has been depicted in a poor light.

In an 'open letter' addressed to Murmu, actor-producer Pallavi Joshi alleged that theatre owners have told makers of the film that they were being intimidated, threatened and are refusing to screen it, fearing "violence by ruling party workers".

"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," she said in the letter, shared by her husband and director of the film, Vivek Agnihotri, on X.

"There is no official ban, yet an unofficial ban silences the film before people can see it," she added.

In the post accompanying the letter, Agnihotri quoted Joshi as saying that multiplex chains in the state have refused the film’s release under "political pressure and threats by the ruling party".

"This is cinema of truth. But truth also needs protection. Madam President, I seek not a favour for a film but space for art, for truth, for Maa Bharati’s soul to speak without fear. You are my final hope. Please protect our constitutional right and let The Bengal Files be shown in West Bengal peacefully," she said in the letter.

Navin Chokhani, the owner of Navina in south Kolkata, told PTI that the theatre is already under an arrangement to screen 'Baaghi 4', while the Bengali film 'Dhumketu' is also being shown.

"For us, showing another film is not possible," he said.

A spokesperson of Menoka cinema said the theatre is screening 'The Conjuring: Last Rites' and the 2024 Bengali hit 'Bahurupi', and has no slot left for 'The Bengal Files'.

Priya Cinema's owner Arijit Dutta said, "We have 'Baaghi 4' and two Bengali films, 'Ahana: The Light Within' and 'Jhor', from September 5. There is no slot left for The Bengal Files." Multiplex chains such as PVR Inox, Cinepolis and SVF Cinemas would also not be screening the film.

Among the films that would be screened by them are 'Baaghi 4', 'The Conjuring: Last Rites', 'Lokhan: Chapter 1', 'War 2', 'Saralakkho Holmes', 'Param Sundari', 'Mahavatar Narsimha' and 'Jhor', according to advance ticket bookings available online.

Their spokespersons could not be reached for a comment.

Eastern India Motion Picture Association president Piya Sengupta told PTI, "I cannot say why the film was not being slotted for screening in any theatres in West Bengal from September 5." In the petition moved before the high court seeking a stay on the release, one Santanu Mukherjee claimed that his grandfather, Gopal Chandra Mukherjee, had been depicted in a defamatory manner in the movie.

Producing a photograph, he claimed that his grandfather was termed 'Patha', a Bengali connotation for goat, in the movie.

Taking up the petition, Justice Amrita Sinha said that she would hear the arguments of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which vetted the contents of a film, and the Centre before passing any order.

Mukherjee ran a goat meat shop in the 1940s at the Bowbazar area in central Kolkata.

The petitioner claimed that his grandfather was an eminent freedom fighter, and alleged that the filmmaker has depicted him as being involved in the events of August 16, 1946, the day termed as that of 'Great Calcutta Killings'.

He claimed that this is not true.

Justice Sinha asked the petitioner's lawyer whether he was sure that the film was based on his grandfather, to which he answered in the affirmative.

He stated before the court that notice had been served on the parties in the matter by post and email.

The court said that the film may also be fictional, and an order can be passed only after hearing all the parties.

The state government's lawyer stated before the court that it has initiated proceedings on the basis of an FIR lodged at a police station in this regard.

Justice Sinha questioned why the petitioner had come to the court on the eve of the film's scheduled release.

The trailer launch of the film at a hotel in the city was stopped on August 17.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh had then accused Agnihotri of trying to drive a wedge in society by his "propaganda" film to fulfil the BJP's political agenda.

The film features Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Saswata Chatterjee, Darshan Kumarr and Sourav Das in leading roles. PTI SUS AMR SOM