Mumbai: Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri has urged President Droupadi Murmu's intervention after his upcoming film 'The Bengal Files' allegedly faced hurdles in West Bengal, with co-producer and actress Pallavi Joshi claiming that the film's release is being stalled across theatres in that state.
Set to hit theatres on September 5, 'The Bengal Files' delves into the communal violence that gripped undivided Bengal in the 1940s, focusing on key historical events such as Direct Action Day and the Noakhali riots of 1946.
In an open letter, actress and co-producer Pallavi Joshi has alleged that the film was facing an "unofficial ban" in West Bengal. According to her, several theatre owners have declined to screen the movie, reportedly due to "intimidation" and "threats" from members of the state's ruling party.
She wrote, "Respected Madam President. With a heavy heart, I reach out to you, not for favours, but for protection. 'The Bengal Files', the final part of the Files Trilogy, releases on September 5. It tells the long-suppressed truth of the Hindu genocide of Direct Action Day, the horrors of Noakhali, and the trauma of Partition. But in West Bengal, truth is under siege. Years before completion, the Chief Minister mocked the film."
Highlighting the fallout following the film's announcement, Pallavi Joshi said, "Since then, baseless FIRs have been filed, police blocked our trailer, and even newspapers avoid carrying ads. My family is threatened every day by political party workers. Now theatre owners have told us they are being intimidated, threatened and are refusing to screen it, fearing violence by ruling party workers. There is no official ban, yet an unofficial ban silences the film before people can see it."
Legendary actor, Padma Bhushan recipient Victor Banerjee, along with many Bengali organisations in India and abroad, has already petitioned you. Their support proves that truth still has allies," added Pallivi Joshi.
"The Bengal Files is the cry of Maa Bharati, scarred yet unbroken, a story of survival and hope. As a woman who rose from the margins to the highest constitutional office, only you can truly understand what it means to endure such pain and turn it into purpose," read the letter.
She stated, "This is the 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."
Following her remarks, Agnihotri took to X to seek support from President Murmu, calling the alleged obstruction a threat to democracy and the freedom of cinema in India.
He said, "As producer of 'The Bengal Files', I am pained that multiplex chains in Bengal have refused the film's release under political pressure and threats by the ruling party. I plead for your intervention to uphold my constitutional rights and ensure its release in Bengal."
Commenting on the alleged obstruction of the film's release, BJP leader Amit Malviya stated that this is not the first instance of "blatant censorship" in India related to a film’s screening.
He alleged that under the Mamata Banerjee-led administration, The Kerala Story had also faced a similar situation, where its release was blocked in theatres despite a court order permitting its screening.
Taking to his X handle, Malviya wrote, "This is not the first time such blatant censorship has taken place. 'The Kerala Story' was also denied release in theatres, despite a court order, due to threats of violence from the Mamata Banerjee administration. More recently, even an event featuring Javed Akhtar was cancelled after radical Islamist groups demanded it be stalled."
The filmmakers have demanded immediate action, requesting that the Central government and film certification authorities look into the matter.
Meanwhile, no official response has yet been issued by the West Bengal government or state film bodies.
The controversy adds to the growing list of politically charged films facing resistance in regional markets, raising fresh questions about censorship, creative autonomy, and regional politics in Indian cinema.
