Calcutta High Court Rejects Petition Against Vivek Agnihotri’s Upcoming Movie ‘The Bengal Files’
In a recent ruling, the Calcutta High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the portrayal of a freedom fighter in director Vivek Agnihotri’s new film ‘The Bengal Files’. The court found that the petitioner failed to provide solid evidence or documents to support his claims, making it a big setback for the complainant.
The petition came from Santanu Mukherjee, the grandson of renowned freedom fighter Gopal Mukherjee, also known as Gopal Patha. This historical figure appears as a character in the movie, which has sparked controversy even before its release. Santanu argued that the film wrongly depicts his grandfather, raising questions about the accuracy of the portrayal.
Santanu’s main concerns included two key points: first, he claimed the movie misrepresents Gopal Patha, a key member of the Anushilon Samity group during India’s freedom struggle. Second, he questioned the sources of information used for the character’s depiction in ‘The Bengal Files’. To dig deeper, Santanu even filed a Right to Information (RTI) application, but he got no response, adding to his frustration.
He also raised a third issue—how could Vivek Agnihotri, the film’s director, be a member of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)? This pointed to potential conflicts of interest in the certification process for the movie.
The case was heard by Justice Amrita Sinha in the single-judge bench on Monday. During the hearing, the judge made it clear that this matter didn’t fall under the court’s jurisdiction. She advised Santanu to approach the right authorities instead. Moreover, since he couldn’t share any details or outcomes from his RTI application in court, the petition was straightaway dismissed.
This isn’t the first time Santanu has taken action. Just last month, he filed an FIR at a Kolkata police station, accusing ‘The Bengal Files’ of falsely labeling his grandfather as a "butcher." Defending his family’s legacy, Santanu explained, “My grandfather was part of the freedom fighters’ group Anushilon Samity and owned two goat-meat shops. But that doesn’t make him a butcher. He was actually a wrestler who picked up arms to shield people from the communal riots stirred by the Muslim League in Kolkata back in 1946.”
‘The Bengal Files’ is generating buzz as the third installment in Vivek Agnihotri’s popular ‘Files’ trilogy. It follows the 2019 release ‘The Tashkent Files’ and the highly debated ‘The Kashmir Files’ from 2022, both of which tackled sensitive historical events and stirred national conversations.
The controversy also ties into broader issues in West Bengal, where the Mamata Banerjee-led government has faced criticism for allegedly imposing gag orders on films over what some call "flimsy" reasons. As ‘The Bengal Files’ moves toward release, it seems set to fuel more debates on freedom of expression, film censorship, and historical accuracy in Indian cinema.
Stay tuned for updates on this ongoing story involving Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Bengal Files’ and Calcutta High Court decisions.
