Veteran Bengali actor Victor Banerjee has written to the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu seeking intervention to ensure the smooth release of filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s upcoming film The Bengal Files in West Bengal.Banerjee, who has also started a petition campaign, expressed apprehension that the film may face resistance in his home state.
The film, scheduled for release on September 5, seeks to highlight what the makers describe as a “dark and painful chapter” in Bengal and India’s history.
In his appeal, Banerjee said, “We have every reason to believe that the upcoming screening of the film in West Bengal may face deliberate obstruction or suppression. Such actions not only violate the freedom of artistic expression but also deny citizens their constitutional right to truth and free thought.”
Director Vivek Agnihotri had earlier alleged that the trailer launch of the film in Kolkata was forcibly disrupted. Calling the development “deeply concerning,” he said, “This film represents a courageous first attempt to bring to light a neglected part of history.”
Banerjee urged Rashtrapati Bhavan to safeguard the rights of artists and audiences by ensuring that the screening takes place peacefully, “without intimidation or interference.”
The Bengal Files is the latest in Agnihotri’s series of films based on socio-political themes, following The Tashkent Files (2019) and The Kashmir Files (2022). (UNI)
