Shantanu Mukherjee, the grandson of late Gopal Chandra Mukherjee, popularly known as Gopal Patha, has moved the Calcutta High Court seeking an immediate stay on the release of 'The Bengal Files' in West Bengal. Shantanu has alleged that his grandfather has been misrepresented in a deeply offensive and historically inaccurate manner.
The film, scheduled to hit cinemas in West Bengal this Friday, is based on the events surrounding Direct Action Day in 1946 and the Partition of Bengal. However, Shantanu Mukherjee has alleged that his grandfather, has been misrepresented in a deeply offensive manner.
The matter will be heard on Monday by a single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha. Shantanu’s counsel argued in court that the portrayal of Gopal Mukherjee in the film was “ghastly” and demanded the removal of scenes that depicted him in a “dishonourable fashion.”
“We want a stay on the release of the movie in West Bengal,” the petitioner’s counsel stated. “Also, Gopal Mukherjee has been depicted in a ghastly manner. We want the complete removal of scenes which depict him in a dishonourable fashion. Further, we want scrutiny over the role of Vivek Agnihotri in the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). How can he remain a board member of CBFC and run a production house parallelly?” Advocate Debanjan Mukherjee, representing the petitioner, further argued that Agnihotri should stop “misusing the name and identity of a historic person who was a freedom fighter.”
Earlier in August, Shantanu Mukherjee had filed a complaint against Vivek Agnihotri, accusing the director of using derogatory language about his grandfather and proceeding without any consultation or permission from the family.
In his complaint, Shantanu wrote, “What hurts us is that such efforts are not alien to us; previously, loads of despicable endeavours aimed at dragging down the image of my late grandfather Sri Gopal Chandra Mukherjee had occurred, leaving the entire family in utter shock.”
He further alleged that Agnihotri has “besmirched” the legacy of his grandfather, saying, “The image of my grandfather has been distorted. He has been portrayed as a sword-brandishing, blood-thirsty Muslim hater. How can we stay calm when they have distorted the image of my grandfather? Neither did the director, nor did the research team contact us.”
Shantanu also refuted claims made by Agnihotri that he was associated with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), stating, “Vivek Agnihotri has claimed that we are in touch with the ruling TMC. I don’t know where he got to know this from. It is completely wrong.”
Director Vivek Agnihotri in an interview with NDTV, defended the film, stating that he had treated Gopal Mukherjee with utmost respect and had shown him as a hero. “I have deep respect for Gopal Mukherjee. He was a hero and I have shown him as a hero. Hindus in Bengal treat him as a hero and question why his name is not among the great freedom fighters of our country.”
Regarding the allegations made by Shantanu, Agnihotri said, “As far as the grandson is concerned, he has been talking to me on the phone for a long time. In fact, I offered to thank him and his family. But I have been told that he is a part of TMC. After this, I don’t want to elaborate further, as a legal procedure is ongoing, and we have replied to him legally." He added pointedly, “Just because somebody is somebody’s grandson, that does not make him the same person as his grandfather.”
Amid the legal battle, actor-producer Pallavi Joshi, who also stars in the film as ‘Maa Bharati’, has written an open letter to President Droupadi Murmu. In it, she appealed for the President’s intervention against what she described as an “unofficial ban” on The Bengal Files in West Bengal.
Joshi alleged that theatre owners were being intimidated and threatened by workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress, preventing them from screening the film. “My family is threatened every day by political party workers. Now theatre owners have told us they are being intimidated, threatened, and are refusing to screen it, fearing violence by ruling party workers,” she wrote. “There is no official ban, yet an unofficial ban silences the film before people can see it," she added, underscoring that she was not demanding favours but seeking “protection”.
'The Bengal Files', written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, features Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi. The film is centred on the events of Direct Action Day in August 1946, the Noakhali riots, and the subsequent partition of Bengal. Earlier in August, Agnihotri alleged that Kolkata Police had blocked the launch of the film’s trailer at the last minute. Agnihotri questioned whether “Bengal follows a special constitution” and accused the state government of trying to suppress the “truth of Hindu genocide.”
