Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri is facing backlash over his upcoming film The Bengal Files, which is scheduled to release on September 5, 2025.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV's Shiv Aroor, the filmmaker addressed the controversy around the film, which is under fire for allegedly portraying Gopal Patha, real name Gopal Mukherjee, in a negative light. Mukherjee was a key figure during the Great Calcutta Killings in 1946.
The Bengal Files revolves around the Calcutta riots of August 16, 1946, which were triggered after the All-India Muslim League called for Direct Action Day to demand a separate homeland.
Last month, Gopal Patha's grandson Santanu Mukherjee sent a legal notice to Agnihotri for allegedly maligning his grandfather's name, followed by filing an FIR against the filmmaker. He has alleged that Agnihotri referred to Gopal Patha as "Ek Tha Kasai Gopal Patha (Once Upon A Time There Was A Butcher Called Gopal Patha)" in a personal reel.
Reacting to the allegations, Agnihotri told NDTV, "I have deep respect for Gopal Mukherjee. He was a hero. I've shown him as a hero. Why is his name not there as one of the great freedom fighters of our country? So I have portrayed him only as a hero. As far as the grandson is concerned, he has been talking to me on the phone for a long time. In fact, I offered to say thank you to him and his family, but I have been told that he is part of TMC, and after this, I don't want to elaborate, because there is a legal procedure going on. We have replied legally."
He further added, "But the thing is, I also want to say on record, just because somebody is somebody's grandson doesn't make him as great a person as his grandfather was. And when the film gets into the little media and things like that, then lots of people jump the wagon and they want to participate in that.
Agnihotri maintained that his film presents Gopal Mukherjee as a heroic figure and said the portrayal is based entirely on documented sources.
He said, "Gopal Mukherjee's character is based only on two documents, because there is very little written about him. One is Gopal Mukherjee's own interview with the BBC. I have just translated it into Hindi. And his grandson Shantanu's own interview with a newspaper. Only on these documents, whatever they have said, I have shot it. He doesn't know. I won't... I don't want to say more than this, because otherwise, I don't want another controversy."
Background
The Bengal Files focuses on the turbulent history of Bengal during the 1940s, specifically the Great Calcutta Killings, Direct Action Day and the Noakhali riots.
The film stars Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumaar, Puneet Issar, Govind Namdev, Mohan Kapur, Palomi Ghosh, Divya Palat and others.
The Bengal Files is directed by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Pallavi Joshi.
This is not the first time Agnihotri's films have faced political resistance. Previously, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government had been accused of issuing gag orders against films on allegedly "flimsy" grounds.
The Bengal Files is regarded as the third installment in Vivek Agnihotri's 'Files' trilogy. The first film, The Tashkent Files (2019), dealt with the mystery behind the death of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, while the second, The Kashmir Files (2022), focused on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley.
Both films generated intense debate and political controversy, with The Kashmir Files becoming one of the most talked-about films of recent years.
With The Bengal Files, Agnihotri now turns his lens on Bengal's troubled past in the 1940s. The film is scheduled to release on September 5.
Also Read: Pallavi Joshi To NDTV: "Ready To Show Bengal Files To Mamata Banerjee, But She Can't Ban A Film"