The Bengal Files trailer launch marred by police intervention in Kolkata, furious Agnihotri alleges fascist rule in state

The event was marred by repeated objections from the hotel authorities and later interventions from police, who stopped the screening of the trailer midway culminating into a faceoff between the filmmaker and a cop inside the hotel.

How chaos unfolded at the trailer launch?

During the first screening of the trailer along with a 15-minute documentary, the event was repeatedly interrupted by hotel staff, who objected to the screening and prevented the trailer from being played in full.

The wires were allegedly snapped and interruptions disrupted the showcase, leaving the audience unsettled. Despite the setbacks, organisers attempted to restart the screening in hopes of salvaging the launch.

"We have paid the money, got everything checked and even after all of these, we are told that there are some issues. The wire has been snapped to stall the trailer launch. Who snaps a wire at a private hotel? Everyone knows who is behind all of these," fumed Agnihotri targeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee without taking her name.

"It seems West Bengal does not follow the Indian Constitution... If this is not dictatorship or fascism, then what is? The law and order of the state has collapsed and that's why it's so important that everybody supports this film," he added.

Trailer launch event. Photo: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

The city hotel was guarded by massive deployment of police, who later confronted Agnihotri at the fag end of the event.

The second attempt, however, led to further trouble. Halfway through the screening, police officials intervened and halted the event, leading to a heated argument between a cop and Agnihotri.

Authorities claimed that prior permission had not been granted for a public screening of the trailer and documentary.

"Police are acting under political pressure," Agnihotri thundered.

Vivek Agnihotri at the trailer launch. Photo: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

"You are suppressing my voice. You want to censor and ban my voice. You are against this film and that's why you are stopping it," Agnihotri told the cop.

A cop, whom Agnihotri confronted, told the media, "We were never informed about the film's trailer launch. Ask him (Vivek Agnihotri) whether the booking had said the film's trailer will be launched."

Earlier, multiple FIRs were filed against the makers. The filmmaker has received an interim stay order from the Calcutta High Court on the FIRs filed against the film and its makers.

The trailer launch event of the controversial film was previously organised at the cinema hall of Quest Mall.

After the cinema chain surprisingly cancelled the event, it was planned to be held at ITC Royal Bengal along EM Bypass in Kolkata.

 TMC hits back at Agnihotri

Trashing the allegations of political pressure, ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya told a local channel, "We have no interest in doing these things.

"Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri always makes propaganda films ahead of elections. He is now releasing The Bengal Files just ahead of the West Bengal elections. We do not care about all these."

What is the crux of the film?

In one of the most jarring moments from the trailer, a voice cuts through the silence, “Yeh Paschim Bangal hai, yaha do constitution chalta hai, ek Hinduao ka, ek Musalmanon ka.”

Another character declares with steely resolve, “Sirf Zameen ka tukda nahi, Bharat ka lighthouse hai Bangal.”

Trailer launch event. Photo: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Through gripping visuals, haunting silences, and gut-wrenching dialogues, the trailer shines a blinding light on decades of communal violence, systemic silence, and ideological manipulation.

The film stars National Award-winning actress Pallavi Joshi, veteran legend Mithun Chakraborty, and an ensemble cast that breathes life into a narrative many tried to erase.

The film brings alive events such as Direct Action Day on August 16, 1946 and the Noakhali riots of 1946, which reshaped the social and political dynamics of Bengal for decades to come.

With a powerful star cast including Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumar, Simratt Kaur, Namashi Chakraborty, and Eklavya Sood, the film aims to portray the scale of violence and human suffering during that time.

Speaking to IBNS, Agnihotri said, "People should know that there were only two places in the world that truly moved towards a cultural renaissance — one was France and the other was Bengal. It was from Bengal that the nationalist movement drew meaning. In art, culture, literature — every kind of renaissance took place here. Through this film, we want people to realize what we lost and why we lost it.

"Pakistan exists today only because of Direct Action Day. There was genocide, people were killed in Noakhali, women were raped. Out of that fear, leaders gave Pakistan. That is why we have made this film. Even 78 years later, Bengal is still struggling with the same wounds. The partition of 1947 has never truly ended. People who know their history must ensure that what happened then is not repeated today."

"In Germany, there was no second Holocaust. But here in West Bengal, every year something or the other happens with an alarming intensity," the filmmaker, who is known for films like The Tashkent Files, The Kashmir Files, The Kerala Story, added.

The film is slated for a theatrical release on September 5, 2025.

(Reporting by Rishika Sharma, Photos by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)