Vivek Agnihotri on ‘The Bengal Files’: Potential Censorship and Historical Truth

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri is expressing concerns about the possible restrictions on the release of his new film, ‘The Bengal Files’, in West Bengal. He has publicly requested Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to allow the film to be screened, with the aim of exposing the truth about the historical events and partition of Bengal. Agnihotri argues that it is crucial to reveal the events of the past. He highlights the contrast between the treatment of his film and the acceptance of films about the Nazi holocaust and Hiroshima. Agnihotri also discusses the death threats he has received and the challenges in creating sociopolitical films. He also touches on the issue of subjectivity in historical films. Agnihotri also notes that the Partition of Bengal has been ignored in comparison to films about the Partition of Punjab. He addresses the comments made by the family of Gopal Mukherjee. The cancellation of the trailer screening has heightened his concerns. Agnihotri is determined to fight through legal and constitutional means for the film’s release. He sees this fight as a defense of freedom of expression and a tribute to the victims of the Bengal genocide, stating that he will not give up.