&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "The Bengal Files Controversy: Vivek Agnihotri reacts to Gopal Mukherjee's grandson's FIR, actors' silence on alleged distortion of facts | Exclusive")
Vivek Agnihotri's upcoming political drama, The Bengal Files, has been grabbing attention due to the controversy surrounding the film. Whether it's actors distancing themselves from the movie or the misrepresentation of Gopal Mukherjee leading to an FIR being filed by the freedom fighter's grandson, everyone's eyes are on its release. In an exclusive conversation with WION, the filmmaker has opened up about all the drama surrounding the alleged distortion and misrepresentation of the facts, and more.
Vivek Agnihotri on Gopal Mukherjee’s grandson filing FIR
When asked about his reaction to the allegations and FIR filed by the grandson of Gopal Mukherjee, he said, " Ab dekhiye sablog bhej hi rahe hai, chalti ganga mein har koi haath dhota hai. He hasn't seen the film, and he has been talking to me for a long time. But, since there are TMC members, they are compelled to do things and say things like that. Two days ago, I was supposed to inaugurate Gopal ji's first statue in Kolkata."
Also Read: The Bengal Files controversy explained; Why are actors distancing themselves from the film?
He further added, "But, because of this state-sponsored chaos and because of security reasons, I was not allowed to go. But the organizers came to the hotel, and I inaugurated and tweeted in the morning. You can see it on my Twitter account. But, one thing I can tell is that I have shown him as a hero."
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"After seeing the film, every single child, every single person in this country is going to make him a hero of their hearts. We showed him in the US. Whenever Gopal Mukherjee came on screen, he received thunderous applause. Maybe he doesn't know, or he is compelled by TMC to say things like that. He has to survive in Kolkata and he has to live there", he concluded.
Vivek Agnihotri's reaction to Saswata Chatterjee and Sourav Das distancing from the film
Vivek Agnihotri quickly replied to the news of actors distancing themselves from the film, saying, "No, that's not true. The media has cooked up these kinds of stories. In fact, Saswata's manager spoke to me and spoke to his wife, and said that he had gone somewhere else. Saswata is like a friend to me, and he has been coming to my house. Is it possible for such a senior actor like Saswata to not read the entire script and do a film? Do you think Vivek Agnihotri and Pallavi Joshi may ever make a film where the lead, the main actor, has not read the entire script?"
He further added, "Mithun Da has no dialogues in the film, and he has read every single word of the film, how is he not going to read? Gandhi has just five scenes, and he has read the entire script 2-4 times. How is it possible? People who have just one line, I have given a complete script and said that you have to see the role in the entire film. Do you think the main villain of the film has not read the entire script? It questions his acting, his credibility, not mine".
All about The Bengal Files: Cast, plot, controversy, and more
Vivek Agnihotri's film is part of the Files trilogy, which is also the final installment of Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files. The film is based on the Calcutta Riots, which took place on August 16, 1946. Apart from Saswata Chatterjee and Saurav Das, the film also features Pallavi Joshi, Simrat Kaur, Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, and Puneet Issar, among others.
The controversy erupted when the kin of Gopal Mukherjee, on whom the character of Gopal Patha is based, sent a legal notice over alleged misrepresentation of the Bengali leader. It is scheduled to release in cinemas on September 5, 2025.
