Vivek Agnihotri Claims ‘Autocracy’ After Kolkata Police Stop ‘The Bengal Files’ Trailer Launch
KOLKATA, West Bengal – August 16, 2025:Big drama in Kolkata this Saturday! The trailer launch for Vivek Agnihotri’s new movie, The Bengal Files, was shut down, allegedly by the hotel and then the Kolkata Police. Agnihotri and his team, including actress Pallavi Joshi, are calling it a dictatorship and anarchy, saying it’s a clear attempt to kill their film because it deals with a touchy subject. This all went down at the ITC Royal Bengal hotel, with the event supposedly stopped not once, but twice—at one point, they say electrical wires were even cut to stop the trailer from playing.
A Day of Accusations and Chaos
The day was supposed to be the trailer launch at the ITC Royal Bengal. But before things even got going, the event was supposedly messed with by hotel staff, which the filmmakers think was because of outside pressure.
Things got worse when Agnihotri said the Kolkata Police showed up in the hotel ballroom and ordered the whole thing shut down. This supposedly led to a big argument between the film crew and the cops.
Vivek Agnihotri’s Side of the Story
After it all went down, a clearly annoyed Vivek Agnihotri told the media he was super mad, saying these actions were a sad look at our democracy. He said the film’s trailer already had certification, so it was being blocked on purpose.
Agnihotri says the reason for all this is the film’s topic—the 1946 killings and population changes in Bengal before it was split up. He’s accusing the state government of using the police to stop the film from being shown in West Bengal, and that it goes against freedom of speech.
The director had said before that the first place they wanted to launch the trailer, a movie theater, canceled at the last second, saying it was due to political pressure. That’s why they moved it to the ITC Royal Bengal.
What the Filmmakers Are Saying
Pallavi Joshi, actress and producer, also spoke out against what happened. She questioned freedom of speech in West Bengal, wondering, “This didn’t even happen in Kashmir.” Is Kashmir better than Bengal?
Joshi said movies like The Bengal Files are important so people know the truth about Bengal and wants everyone in India to watch it. She described the event as the state failing to respect artists and filmmakers.
The film team is saying they had all the right permission for the event. They’re also saying someone cut the power wires in the hotel ballroom to mess things up, which points to some kind of organized effort to stop the launch.
What the Government Says
The Kolkata Police and West Bengal government haven’t said anything about the situation yet. But this isn’t the first time the film has faced problems in the state.
Agnihotri claims he and his team already had cases filed against them in West Bengal cities. The Calcutta High Court put a stop to those cases until August 26, after the filmmakers asked the court for help.
West Bengal’s ruling party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), has always said the film is propaganda that’s trying to stir up trouble between groups. This political disagreement is a big reason for all the drama around the film.
Background on the ‘Files Trilogy’
The Bengal Files is the last film in Agnihotri’s Files Trilogy, which also includes The Tashkent Files (2019) and The Kashmir Files (2022). The other films also started political arguments.
The Kashmir Files, about the Kashmiri Pandits, was a box office hit, but some also said it had incorrect history and was trying to stir up trouble. All this history sets the scene for how people will react to The Bengal Files.
The movie is about the 1940s, covering events like Direct Action Day and the Noakhali riots, which caused lots of violence between communities and population shifts. The film’s sensitive topic has already kicked off debate.
What This Means
What happened in Kolkata has gotten lots of media attention and has made the discussion about artistic freedom and political censorship in India even bigger. Agnihotri’s supporters are saying this is a fight for the right to free speech.
On the other hand, some argue the film could cause tension and that the government has the right to step in to keep things calm. The fact that the police haven’t said anything official makes people guess why they got involved.
The trailer did get released online, but the shutdown in Kolkata has added controversy to a project that was already politically charged. This could make the discussion around the film even more heated before it comes out on September 5.
