Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 20 : Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri's directorial 'The Bengal Files', which focuses on the events of the Direct Action Day and the 1946 Calcutta killings, has landed in controversy even before its release.
Actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty discussed the controversy surrounding the trailer launch of 'The Bengal Files' in Kolkata, expressing surprise at the entire ruckus without even watching the film. He also blamed the ruling party in the state, saying everything was "planned".
Speaking to ANI, he said, "Everything was planned, but it was so surprising to me, without even seeing the trailer, without even seeing anything, they are opposing it for what? To face the truth? So, that is the problem. Nothing else."
On August 18, during a press conference in Delhi, the ace filmmaker revealed that "FIRs have been filed by ruling party members" on the makers. Speaking about it, the 'Disco Dancer' actor added, "In Bengal, FIRs are distributed like kurmura(Puffed rice). Agar TMC ka koi chota mota bhi hoga na police station mein jayega FIR karo bolega, kar dega. So, it was like that. So, never mind. If the FIR has been done, he(Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri) will fight it back. No problem"
The film explores the communal violence in undivided Bengal during the 1940s, including events like the 1946 Direct Action Day and the Noakhali riots of 1946.
Chakraborty lashed out at the critics, saying, "Everybody is scared of the truth. That is the thing," adding that the young generation should know about the truth.
"It's 1947, even before my birth, which we don't know about. The next generation should know about it what happened during Noakhali..or what about the great Calcutta killings..what happened..We read a line...What happened? You don't want to know the truth?..," he said.
'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 ruckus erupted during the release of 'The Bengal Files' trailer in Kolkata on August 16.
Agnihotri said during the press meet, "I am discovering the political scenario. I had thought how anybody could stop the trailer, but when we went to Kolkata, the multiplex refused to show the trailer after all the permissions in writing. Then, the hotel chain stopped showing the trailer. The police came..cut the wrire then I was told that the ruling party filed many FIRs as we stand here today, the FIRs are filed on us by the ruling party members and I have been told that ruling party has major objection on portrayal untold story of Hindu genocide. They have a problem with that film about demographic change."
'The Bengal Files' is slated to hit theatres on September 5, 2025.