The trailer launch of Bollywood filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri's upcoming controversial film 'The Bengal Files' was disrupted by Kolkata police on Saturday. Police personnel walked in midway of the trailer screening and snapped wires, stopping the screening of the trailer, the makers alleged.
Based on the 1946 Calcutta riots, the film discusses illegal migration in the backdrop of the gruesome communal riots and how demographic changes would influence polls. Actor Anupam Kher plays Mahatma Gandhi in the film, and the trailer blames the freedom fighter's 'non-violent' approach for the riots.
The trailer of the controversial film was slated to be screened at a five-star hotel in the metropolis in the afternoon. While the trailer was being screened, police personnel walked in and stopped it midway. Police personnel present at the venue refused to comment on the issue. Few Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were also present for the trailer launch. The filmmaker was also seen engaged in a heated argument with the police personnel and a hotel staff.
Film's director Agnihotri alleged that it was an attack on the democratic rights of people, as the censor board had cleared the film and the Calcutta High Court stayed a ban on it. "If the hotel authorities wanted to stop the screening, why had they given permission to hold the press meet in the first place? How can a film's press meet be held without screening of its trailer?" Agnihotri asked.
Agnihotri charged that the trailer launch was disrupted at the behest of the ruling Trinamool Congress and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
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"They don't want the atrocities on Bengali Hindus in 1946 and the fightback of people like Gopal Mukherjee to be shown in cinema. If it is a part of history, do you want to change history?" Agnihotri charged. The filmmaker alleged the government was ignoring "conspiracy to divide Bengal again". "I wish to believe this government is not anti-Hindu," Agnihotri said.
The film is scheduled to release in theatres on September 5. The producer of the film, Abhishek Agarwal, told PTI that such issues were not faced during the launch of 'Kashmir Files', another Agnihotri film.
However, Trinamool Congress leaders accused the film director of stoking communal divide in West Bengal. West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu dismissed Agnihotri's charges and called the police intervention "an administrative decision." He also dared Agnihotri to make a film based on Godra riots.