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Vivek Agnihotri Faces FIR Over Alleged Misrepresentation of Freedom Fighter Gopal Mukherjee in Trailer for The Bengal Files
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s upcoming propanda film The Bengal Files has sparked fresh controversy after Shantanu Mukherjee, grandson of renowned Bengali freedom fighter Gopal Mukherjee, filed a police complaint against the director. The grievance was triggered by the film’s trailer, released on August 16, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the “Great Calcutta Killings” or ‘Direct Action Day.’
Shantanu Mukherjee alleges that the trailer misrepresents his grandfather by labeling him “Kashai” (butcher) and “Patha” (goat)—terms he calls both deeply disrespectful and historically inaccurate. “My grandfather was a key figure in the independence movement, working alongside leaders like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. To brand him with such derogatory terms is offensive to our family and the community,” Shantanu said in a statement reported by India Today.In response,
Shantanu has sent a legal notice to Vivek Agnihotri and lodged a formal FIR demanding a public apology. He expressed frustration that the filmmakers neither consulted the family nor verified historical facts before releasing the trailer. “Vivek Agnihotri should research more thoroughly. Where did they get this wrong information? He hasn’t contacted us either. That’s why we are protesting and will continue to do so,” he added.
The Bengal Files is the third film in Agnihotri’s “Files Trilogy,” following The Tashkent Files (2019) and The Kashmir Files (2022). It focuses on the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings and the Noakhali riots, portraying these as acts of genocide and highlighting how they were allegedly ignored in mainstream history. The trailer’s release on the tragedy’s anniversary amplified the emotional and public response.Film experts note that Agnihotri’s works frequently ignite debates about historical representation.
This latest dispute highlights the sensitivity involved in depicting real-life freedom fighters. Historians and community leaders have supported Shantanu’s call for responsible storytelling when portraying figures central to India’s independence.This controversy raises important questions about filmmakers’ duties to engage with families and historians before dramatizing history. Whether it will prompt edits, an apology, or further legal action remains uncertain, but the FIR and legal notice signal that the discussion is far from over.
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