Kolkata Police halt The Bengal Files trailer screening, Vivek Agnihotri says, ‘On whose orders this…’

Later in the day, when the clip was played again, “five or six Kolkata Police officers walked into the banquet hall and stopped the screening midway,” he alleged.

On Saturday, a five-star hotel in Kolkata turned into the centre of an unexpected showdown. Director Vivek Agnihotri was set to unveil the trailer of his film The Bengal Files, based on the 1946 Calcutta riots. But midway, the event collapsed into chaos. According to Agnihotri, “five or six Kolkata Police officers entered the banquet hall and stopped the screening midway.”

The hotel staff had earlier told the team that permission was granted only for a press conference. But when the trailer played again, the plug was pulled. Police officers present declined to comment, leaving speculation wide open.

Why was the event interrupted?

Agnihotri alleged a political hand behind the disruption. He claimed the Trinamool Congress government pressured the hotel to act. “They have come here and cut all the wires. Have you ever seen anything like this before, someone comes and cuts the wires inside a private hotel during a running program?” he asked.

Videos from the venue showed Agnihotri arguing heatedly with both police officials and hotel staff. He linked the intervention to what he described as a larger attempt to silence the film: “Multiple FIRs have been lodged against us. We fight with lawyers every day just to get a stay. Yesterday we learned that the multiplex chain here was forbidden to run it. Today, even in this private hotel banquet hall, the program was stopped despite all permissions.”

Who is being accused?

The director did not mince words when asked if he was pointing fingers at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. “Yes, you are right,” he told reporters. In his words: “If this is not dictatorship, then what is it? If this is not fascism, then what is it? Law and order in this state have failed. That’s why it is so important for everyone to support this film, The Bengal Files.”

What is the film about?

The Bengal Files draws from the real events of 1946, focusing on the atrocities faced by Bengali Hindus and the resistance led by figures like Gopal Mukherjee. “If it is a part of history, do you want to change history?” Agnihotri asked, defending his work.

The film has already cleared the censor board and is scheduled for release on September 5. Producer Abhisshek Agarwal confirmed the team is ready to pursue legal action if needed. “No force can stop us from releasing the film on September 5,” he asserted.