Kolkata, 16 August (H.S.) — A major controversy erupted in Kolkata on Saturday during the trailer launch of filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s upcoming movie The Bengal Files. The event at the five-star ITC Royal Bengal hotel was disrupted by Kolkata Police in a dramatic manner — power supply to the conference hall was cut, the laptop used for screening the trailer was seized, and Agnihotri, along with his wife, actress-producer Pallavi Joshi, was prevented from speaking to the media. In an unprecedented move, a senior police officer even climbed onto the stage and stopped the event midway.

Agnihotri accused the West Bengal government and police of acting with “dictatorial intent” to suppress truth. “Invisible powers are working in Bengal to ensure the truth never comes out,” he said.

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Event shifted under political pressure, claims Agnihotri

Vivek Agnihotri had arrived in Kolkata late Friday night for the morning event. According to him, the trailer launch was originally scheduled at a city multiplex but had to be shifted to a luxury hotel “due to political pressure.” He said everything seemed normal until the program began, when a large contingent of police suddenly appeared and the hall’s power was abruptly cut during the trailer screening.

From the stage, Agnihotri remarked — “Without any reason, the conference hall’s power was disconnected. Heavy police deployment has been here since morning. We are filmmakers, not criminals. To face such a situation on the soil of Satyajit Ray is shocking. If this is not dictatorship, then what is it? If this is not fascism, then what is it? Even if they arrest me, I will continue this fight. This is Bengal.”

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Senior police officer intervenes, screening stopped

Reports suggest a senior Kolkata Police officer personally stepped onto the stage to halt the trailer screening without issuing any formal order. The laptop used for the screening was seized, raising serious questions about the legality of the intervention.

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Media interaction blocked

The controversy escalated when police allegedly surrounded Agnihotri and Pallavi Joshi, preventing them from speaking to journalists. Eventually, both were escorted out of the hotel under heavy security. “Even if I’m arrested, it doesn’t matter,” Agnihotri told reporters later. “But this proves there are authoritarian forces in Bengal that fear the truth.”

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Police maintain silence

Despite the high-profile disruption, neither Kolkata Police nor the state administration issued an official statement by Saturday afternoon. Senior officers declined to comment on why power was cut and the laptop seized.

From the stage, Agnihotri summed up his anger in a single line: “This is Bengal. Everything here happens on signals from above. The truth is not allowed to be shown. This is not democracy; this is outright dictatorship.”

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh