Vivek Agnihotri’s Bengal Files stirs controversy: Multiple FIRs filed by Mamta Banerjee’s TMC

New Delhi: Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri is currently occupied in the USA with the multiple world premieres of his highly anticipated and upcoming, The Bengal Files. On the other hand, controversy has erupted back home as several members of Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal have filed multiple FIRs against the film as well as against the makers, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, Pallavi Joshi, and Abhishek Agarwal. The legal action has stirred debate ahead of the film’s official release.

The film’s recently released teaser became a sensation, gaining widespread attention and talk. Considering Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s signature style of deep research and exposing hidden truths, Mamata’s party might be worried about the revelations coming their way. Mamta Banerjee’s TMC members allege that The Bengal Files spreads communal hate, citing the teaser, which shows a burning idol of Goddess Durga. The FIR claims this is a deliberate and palpable abuse of tradition and communal harmony in Bengal. The complaint also warns that the teaser could potentially trigger unrest and disturb the peace in the region.

While a fiery visual of Maa Kaali sparked some controversy, the makers earlier clarified that the film is rooted in extensive research. The makers of The Bengal Files have not yet responded to the FIRs filed by Mamta Banerjee’s TMC members. Currently, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri and Pallavi Joshi are on a US tour that began on July 19 in New Jersey and will conclude on August 10 in Houston.

The Bengal Files is written by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri and produced by Abhishek Agarwal and Pallavi Joshi. It stars Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Anupam Kher, and Darshan Kumar. The film, presented by Tej Narayan Agarwal and I Am Buddha Productions, is part of Vivek’s Files trilogy, which includes The Kashmir Files and The Tashkent Files. The film will arrive in theatres on September 5, 2025.