Vivek Agnihotri breaks silence on multiple FIRs filed against The Bengal Files: 'They are challenging our guts, courage'
In a video statement, Agnihotri revealed that multiple FIRs have been filed against him and the film by members of the ruling party in West Bengal. Despite the pressure, he remains defiant and plans to launch the trailer in the state itself.
'The ruling party of West Bengal and their members have been filing so many FIRs against us in different cities. That is their strategy. I was quiet and did not share this information with anyone because we were taking the legal course. I have great faith in Indian judiciaries, especially Calcutta High Court,' he said.
'The Calcutta High Court has given us a stay on all these FIRs, but as the case was being heard in the High Court, at the same time, they filed more FIRs. The ruling party wants to trap us with so many legal hassles and battles so that we cannot focus on the promotion of the film. This strategy has been deployed by them for a very long time.'
Agnihotri also detailed the challenges of making the film. 'I must tell you it's one of the most defining and important films. It uncovers many dark chapters of our history.'
He added, 'I have finished the film. It has taken a lot from us. We have put in whatever we had to make this very difficult film. We were not allowed to shoot in Bengal. We had to shoot the entire film in Bombay. Now, with our limited resource, we want this film to reach every citizen of India.'
He concluded the video by saying, 'This is people's film. It is your film. I want you to support us. I want you to expose all those agencies and powers who do not want this film to come out. They are challenging our guts and courage. They want to see how we are going to fight. We are alone while they have the state power. But I have taken this challenge and I am going to release the trailer of the film in West Bengal. Nobody can silence me because nobody can silence the truth.'
The Bengal Files, originally titled 'The Delhi Files: The Bengal Chapter', is an upcoming Hindi-language film directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri. It serves as the third and final instalment in Agnihotri's 'Files Trilogy' on modern Indian history, following 'The Tashkent Files' (2019) and 'The Kashmir Files' (2022). The film focuses on the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings.
The project is set to be released in two parts. The first instalment, titled 'The Bengal Files: Right to Life', is slated to hit theatres on September 5, 2025, coinciding with Teachers' Day in India.
Set against the backdrop of the 1940s, the film delves into the violence that engulfed undivided Bengal, spotlighting pivotal events such as Direct Action Day in 1946 and the Noakhali riots.
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