Mumbai, May 5 (IANS) Director Vivek Agnihotri, who is known for ‘The Kashmir Files’, ‘The Tashkent Files’, ‘The Bengal Files’ and others, has reacted to the election defeat of Mamata Banerjee in the recently concluded West Bengal assembly elections.
On Monday, he took to his Instagram, and shared a note following the victory of BJP in the West Bengal assembly elections. He spoke about how Mamata Banerjee banned him from entering the state, and how ‘The Kashmir Files’ was not allowed to screen in cinemas.
He wrote, “NEVER AGAIN. For those who don’t know, @MamataOfficial cancelled me in Bengal after the release of #TheKashmirFiles. The film was taken out of cinema halls, and she said I would NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER Bengal”.
“Last year, she BANNED #TheBengalFiles completely in West Bengal. Our trailer launch was blocked. We were attacked and assaulted. Dozens of FIRs were filed against me. I was cancelled in Bengal. I couldn’t even go to receive my award from the Governor”, he shared.
“But we never gave up. During these elections, we ensured that #TheBengalFiles was shown to as many people as possible (underground) across Bengal. I am glad we didn’t give (up) and fought in our own little way”, he added.
Earlier, Mamata Banerjee’s government had imposed a blockade on the trailer of ‘The Bengal Files’. The makers of ‘The Bengal Files’ wanted to launch the trailer of the film in Kolkata on August 16, 2025 which marked the 79th anniversary of the Direct Action Day, a dark chapter in the history of India when the state of Bengal was rocked by widespread communal riots. However, the makers weren’t allowed to screen the film or the trailer in West Bengal.
‘The Bengal Files’ is based on the Direct Action Day, which took place on August 16, 1946. It presents the events of one of the darkest chapters of India, when people were brutally killed following riots in Kolkata. The Direct Action Day riots sparked off several riots between Muslims and Hindus/Sikhs in Noakhali, Bihar, and Punjab.
–IANS
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