The Calcutta High Court has dismissed a petition challenging filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri&rsquo;s upcoming movie The Bengal Files. The plea, filed by Santanu Mukherjee, grandson of freedom fighter Gopal Mukherjee (popularly known as Gopal Patha), alleged that his grandfather was wrongly depicted in the film.
Mukherjee argued that the portrayal of his grandfather was inaccurate and questioned the sources on which the depiction was based. He also raised concerns over Agnihotri&rsquo;s membership in the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
However, Justice Amrita Sinha ruled that the petition lacked jurisdiction in her court and advised the petitioner to approach the appropriate forum. The bench further noted that Mukherjee had failed to provide substantiated documents or information, including details sought through an RTI application, thereby dismissing the petition.
Last month, Mukherjee had also filed an FIR in Kolkata, claiming the film wrongly described his grandfather as a butcher. &ldquo;Besides being a part of Anushilon Samity, my grandfather owned two goat-meat shops. But that does not make him a butcher. He was a wrestler who took up arms to protect people from the communal violence unleashed by the Muslim League in 1946,&rdquo; he had said.
The Bengal Files is widely regarded as the third installment in Agnihotri&rsquo;s &ldquo;Files trilogy,&rdquo; following The Tashkent Files (2019) and The Kashmir Files (2022). The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has previously faced criticism for restricting other films on what critics called &ldquo;flimsy grounds,&rdquo; fueling debates over creative freedom and censorship.

HC Rejects Plea Against ‘The Bengal Files’

Calcutta High Court dismisses petition over alleged misportrayal in Vivek Agnihotri film

HC Rejects Plea Against ‘The Bengal Files’

Calcutta High Court dismisses petition over alleged misportrayal in Vivek Agnihotri film

September 8, 2025 | 16:56 IST