Bengaluru: Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, currently in the United States to promote his upcoming movie The Bengal Files, alleged that members of West Bengal’s ruling party are attempting to suppress the film through a slew of FIRs filed across multiple locations.
In a video message to UNI, Agnihotri claimed The Bengal Files was “one of the most defining and important films on Hindu genocide,” claiming it unveils “dark chapters of history” that he said had long been covered up by certain Western interests.
Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress has, on the other hand, claimed that the film has "insulted" freedom fighters Bengal and promoted communal hatred.
Agnihotri expressed concern that several FIRs had been registered against him and the film’s team in different parts of the country, allegedly at the behest of the West Bengal government.
“This is their strategy — to trap us in legal battles and stop the promotion of the film,” he said.
Agnihotri said while he initially remained silent and chose to follow the legal path, he was now encouraged by the Calcutta High Court’s decision to stay the FIRs. However, he also claimed that more FIRs were filed even as the matter was being heard in court.
He questioned the intention behind the attempts to stifle the film. “Are they against me, the film, or the truth?” he asked, adding that his team was forced to shoot the entire film in Mumbai after being denied permission to film in Bengal.
Calling The Bengal Files a “people’s film,” Agnihotri said he aimed to reach out to the youth of India, particularly Generation Z, whom he believes are eager to discover hidden truths of the region's past. “Is this what they fear — that young Indians will learn the truth about Bengal’s history?” he asked.
Agnihotri claimed that goons and extortionists were being empowered to intimidate the film’s team, but vowed not to be silenced. “They are challenging our courage. But I have taken up this challenge, and I will release the trailer in West Bengal. Nobody can silence the truth. Vande Mataram, Satyameva Jayate,” he claimred.
