The Bengal Files Controversy: No Shows in West Bengal, the High Court and the “Calcutta Files” Question
Vivek Agnihotri's The Bengal Files had no shows in West Bengal at release in September 2025. The court cases, the claims, the 2026 clearance, and why we found no film called Calcutta Files.
Follow for the next update
Never miss a Bengali release. We ping you for new films, big scores and the Friday digest. One tap to stop.
Films in this article
Facts below are taken from published reports available on 20 October 2026. Claims are attributed to the people who made them.
What happened in 2025
- The Bengal Files, Vivek Agnihotri’s film about the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings and the Noakhali riots, released nationwide on 5 September 2025 after CBFC clearance. National multiplex chains and single screens in West Bengal reportedly gave it no shows, reportedly out of fear of vandalism (Film Information).
- Agnihotri accused the then ruling Trinamool Congress of “political pressure and intimidation” amounting to an “unofficial ban”. The trailer launch in Kolkata was stopped by police, according to Agnihotri; police declined to comment (Tribune).
- The Calcutta High Court dismissed a petition seeking censorship of the film. On 23 September a division bench asked the state government to clarify whether any administrative restriction existed. A separate petition by a relative of Gopal Chandra Mukherjee, a real person the film depicts, did not result in a stay.
- An invitation only screening was held in Kolkata on 13 September 2025.
After the 2026 election
ThePrint reported on 16 May 2026 that the film received clearance for release in West Bengal nearly two weeks after the BJP’s win; Agnihotri had blamed Mamata Banerjee for the earlier block.
Is there a “Calcutta Files” film about RG Kar?
We found no published source for a film called The Calcutta Files or for a film on the RG Kar hospital case by Agnihotri. In 2024 he said he would not make a film on that incident and did not want to exploit it commercially. If you have seen an announcement, send us the link.
Questions people ask
Was The Bengal Files banned in West Bengal?
Agnihotri called it an unofficial ban. The state was asked by the High Court to say whether any restriction existed; we did not find its recorded answer.
Is it available to watch now?
Check our where to watch pages for current streaming and theatre information.
