'I was not allowed to...': Vivek Agnihotri breaks silence on Mamata’s defeat

A day after the BJP decimated TMC in West Bengal, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri on Tuesday hit out at outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying she blocked him from entering the state after he released Kashmir Files. He claimed his film 'The Bengal Files' was also not allowed and it reached voters during the elections through unofficial screenings.

Don't Miss: 'Won't resign, haven't lost election': Mamata Banerjee after Bengal defeat

‘I was not allowed to enter Bengal’

Following the election results, Agnihotri wrote on X, “NEVER AGAIN. For those who don’t know, @MamataOfficial cancelled me in Bengal after the release of #TheKashmirFiles. The film was taken out of cinema halls, and she said I would NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER Bengal."

 

 

He said his subsequent film faced similar resistance. "Last year, she BANNED #TheBengalFiles completely in West Bengal. Our trailer launch was blocked. We were attacked and assaulted. Dozens of FIRs were filed against me. I was cancelled in Bengal. I couldn’t even go to receive my award from the Governor,” Vivek said

Claims of ‘underground’ screenings

Agnihotri further claimed that despite these obstacles, his team continued to show the film to audiences during the election period. "But we never gave up. During these elections, we ensured that #TheBengalFiles was shown to as many people as possible (underground) across Bengal. I am glad we didn’t give and fought in our own little way. And finally… this unprecedented victory. Congratulations to the great people of Bengal. Now you can walk without fear, with your head held high,” he added.

There has been no official confirmation of a government ban on The Bengal Files in West Bengal. However, the film did not secure wide theatrical release in the state.

Earlier remarks at trailer launch

Agnihotri had earlier accused the state administration of blocking his film’s promotions. "Multiple FIRs have been filed against us," he told Mint. 

He noted, “We have taken all permissions. We took permission from ITC, ran tests, or else we would have never organised such an event. They are not telling us why it is being stopped. If this is not a dictatorship, then what is it? If this is not Fascism?”

The filmmaker noted, “Law and order have failed, and that's why it is important that everybody supports this film, The Bengal Files. So many police have been deployed here as if we were thieves or smugglers. We are filmmakers. If we are being silenced in the land of Satyajit Ray, then you can imagine what the situation is in Bengal.”

About The Bengal Files

The Bengal Files is a 2025 Hindi-language political drama directed by  Agnihotri. The film focuses on events like Direct Action Day and the Noakhali riots, portraying the violence and its aftermath.

It stars Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar, Anupam Kher and Simrat Kaur.

The film is the third and final part of Agnihotri’s Files Trilogy, after The Tashkent Files (2019) and The Kashmir Files (2022). With a runtime of 204 minutes, it is among the longest Indian films and was released on 5 September 2025.