Almost a week after its release, The Bengal Files was screened for the first time in Kolkata on Saturday (September 13, 2025) at the National Library’s Syama Prasad Mookerjee Bhasha Bhavan auditorium. The event was held under heavy security cover provided by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
The screening was attended by the film’s director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, actor Pallavi Joshi, BJP leaders Swapan Dasgupta and Sishir Bajoria, and a select audience comprising largely BJP supporters.
Mr. Agnihotri alleged that multiplexes and cinema halls in West Bengal were unwilling to show the film due to pressure from the Trinamool Congress government. Calling the day “historic,” he said the film was rooted in history and deserved to be shown.
The screening came days after the film’s trailer launch in Kolkata was disrupted by police citing lack of permission. On Saturday, slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” were raised inside the auditorium.
While the BJP has thrown its weight behind the film, the Trinamool Congress has dismissed it as “propaganda” meant to stir communal divisions. Earlier this week, the Calcutta High Court rejected a petition filed against the portrayal of freedom fighter Gopal Chandra Mukherjee alias Gopal Patha, who is celebrated in the movie.