It rankles that WB people not allowed to watch 'The Bengal Files', Agnihotri at special screening

Kolkata, Sep 13 (PTI) As no theatres were screening his controversial film 'The Bengal Files' across West Bengal since its national release on September 5, director Vivek Agnihotri on Saturday said it rankles him that people of the state are being prevented from watching the movie.

The movie on communal riots during Direct Action Day in August 1946 in Calcutta was screened at an invitation-only event during the day at the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Bhasha Bhavan auditorium on the complex of the National Library, which functions under the Union Ministry of Culture.

The film, which revisits the communal riots during Direct Action Day in August 1946 in Calcutta, is the final part of Agnihotri’s Trilogy, following ‘The Tashkent Files’ and ‘The Kashmir Files’. However, unlike the other two, ‘The Bengal Files’ has faced significant hurdles in the state.

BJP leaders have been alleging that the film has been facing an “unofficial ban” in West Bengal due to “political intimidation”.

“It is a matter of great joy that this film is being screened at the National Library. However, it is also disheartening that, despite being set in Bengal, people of the state are being prevented from watching the movie elsewhere as it cannot be screened in different halls and multiplexes in the state,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the screening.

He rued that the help of central security agencies had to be sought for the special screening, while the state police allegedly halted the teaser launch of the movie in the city last month.

The trailer launch of the film was initially cancelled by a prominent cinema chain in Kolkata. A subsequent attempt to release the trailer at a five-star hotel was disrupted midway due to police intervention.

In an X post before the special screening, Agnihotri said, "The stage is set. 550 people will watch #TheBengalFiles tonight at the iconic National Library, Kolkata. 2000 in waiting." Later, he charged the ruling TMC of exerting pressure on the cinema halls in the state not to screen the film. The fact that despite a CBFC nod, the film cannot be screened proves there is an unofficial ban on the screening of ‘The Bengal Files’, the director claimed.

"The development reinforces our belief that the decision was taken to appease some people. A larger number of the population are eager to watch the film, but cannot. Significantly, one of the characters in my film says: ‘two constitutions run in Bengal’," Agnihotri said.

About the apprehension of deterioration of the law and order situation in case the film is released, Agnihotri said it is the responsibility of the state government.

“We opened the advanced booking, and the theatres had been finalised. I came to know from my distributors from Bengal that theatres are refusing to show the film because they are afraid of political backlash from the ruling party. If the theatres had been allowed to screen the movie in Bengal, it would have created history," he claimed.

Saturday’s screening was organised by ‘Khola Hawa’, a socio-cultural organisation that includes prominent BJP figures in its leadership. Its president Swapan Dasgupta is a BJP National Executive Committee member while Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari is a key figure.

"Khola Hawa is proud to present the first showing in Kolkata of the iconic film The Bengal Files," Dasgupta said in a post on X. PTI SUS NN