After a ruckus broke out during the release of ‘The Bengal Files’ trailer in Kolkata, actor Pallavi Joshi said, “Such a thing did not happen even in Kashmir.” She issued a strong statement and expressed anger over the sudden stoppage of her film’s trailer, calling it a serious attack on freedom of expression in West Bengal. She said that the voices of artists were being silenced and compared the situation unfavourably to Kashmir. Stressing the importance of her film The Bengal Files, she urged every Indian to watch it to understand the reality of Bengal’s current situation, while reminding that the state had a duty to respect and protect the rights of artists.

She said, “I absolutely did not like the way my film (trailer) was stopped. Is there freedom of expression in this state? As filmmakers and actors, we are not able to screen what we have made. What is the threat they are feeling? Such a thing did not happen even in Kashmir. Can we derive that the situation in Kashmir is better than in Bengal? See what is happening in Bengal today. And this is why films like ‘The Bengal Files’ are important. I want every person in India to watch this film to know the truth about Bengal. It is the state’s responsibility to give respect to artists…”

During the event at ITC Royal Bengal, when the trailer was suddenly stopped, filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri asked the audience to calm down. He said, “Please bear with us..I mean, all this happened with the permissions and approvals, and now, at the last minute, they are saying that they have got some instructions that we cannot play (trailer)…Please sit down..you can see what is happening it seems there are two constitutions in India..one Indian constitution and one special constitution that runs here…”

He added, “If this is not dictatorship/fascism, then what is?…Law and order in your state has failed, and this is the reason that everyone supports ‘The Bengal Files’…” He also said, “I have just got to know what some people came here (event venue in a private hotel) and cut all the wires. I don’t know on whose orders this is happening? You know who those people are behind us. After all tests and trials, this program was being held. The hotel managers still can’t tell us why we are not allowed to continue with our program…”

Agnihotri earlier spoke about the cancellation of the trailer launch event of ‘The Bengal Files’ by a leading movie theatre chain and explained why he decided to unveil the trailer on August 16.

Speaking to ANI, he said, “Mai America se aaya aur seedhe Kolkata pahucha kyunki trailer launch tha and movie trailers are generally launched in theatres; however, when I reached the airport, I came to know that one of the largest multiplex chains said that they can’t do it because there is a lot of political pressure and if they do it, there will be a political turmoil. So, we spoke to another multiplex, they also said that ‘sorry sir’, there is a lot of political pressure, we can’t do it’. If we had known this from the start, why would we have taken on so many teams and actors and spent so much money to come here..”

The film explored the communal violence in undivided Bengal during the 1940s, including the 1946 Direct Action Day and the Noakhali riots of 1946, which were described as a Hindu genocide.

He added, “Aur Direct Action Day,.. Hindu genocide, Murshidabad riots suki film ka trailer kahan launch hona chahiye, Kolkata mein hi hona chahiye..par mai bhi harne vaalon se nahi hu..to aisa pehli baar ho raha hai mera ye andaaz hai ki film ka trailer theatre ki jagah hotel ke banquet hall mein..but mai janna chahta hu hamari awaaz dabane ki koshish kyu ho rahi hai..(And where should the trailer of the film dealing with Direct Action Day, Hindu genocide, Murshidabad riots, be launched.. It should be launched in Kolkata only, but I’m not one of the losers, so this is happening for the first time, I guess that the trailer of the film is being launched in the banquet hall of a hotel instead of a theatre..to hamari awaaz ko dabane ki koshish kyu ki ja rahi hai (but I want to know why efforts are being made to suppress our voice..)”

Written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, ‘The Bengal Files’ featured actors Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi. The film focused on the events of “Direct Action Day,” aiming to highlight what it called the “most brutal chapter” of Indian history. A poster of the film was unveiled on Friday morning, promising to deliver the “boldest film.” ‘The Bengal Files’ was scheduled to release in theatres on September 5, 2025.