Anupam Kher on ‘The Bengal Files’: It is an important film of our times

Mumbai, Sep 5 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) As “The Bengal Files” hits the big screen on Friday, veteran actor Anupam Kher has extended his best wishes to the team and called the movie an “important film of our times.”

Anupam took to Instagram, where he shared pictures posing with the cast and crew of the film.

He went on to congratulate filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, actress-producer Pallavi Joshi and the entire cast and crew on the film’s release.

He wrote: “Congratulations and best wishes to @vivekagnihotri @pallavijoshiofficial @abhishekofficl and the entire team of #TheBengalFiles on the release of the film today. It is an important film of our times. Please go and watch it in the theatres!”

“The Bengal Files” presents a storyline focused on the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings and the Noakhali riots, depicting the violence and its aftermath as a genocide, and claiming that these chapters of history were deliberately suppressed or ignored.

The film stars Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar, Simrat Kaur, Anupam Kher, Saswata Chatterjee, Namashi Chakraborty, Rajesh Khera, Puneet Issar, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Sourav Das and Mohan Kapur.

The Bengal Files is the third and final instalment in Agnihotri’s The Files Trilogy based on modern Indian history, following The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files.

On Thursday, Pallavi penned an open letter to President of India Droupadi Murmu pleading to protect her constitutional right and let “The Bengal Files” be shown in West Bengal peacefully.

She wrote: “Respected Madam President, With a heavy heart, I reach out to you, not for favours, but for protection.”

She shared that the film, which releases on September 5, is the final chapter of the “Files Trilogy”. She went on to mention that the film portrays the “long-suppressed truth” of the Hindu genocide during Direct Action Day, the horrors of Noakhali, and the Partition trauma.

“The Bengal Files, the final part of the Files Trilogy, releases on 5th September. It tells the long-suppressed truth of the Hindu genocide of Direct Action Day, the horrors of Noakhali, and the trauma of Partition.”

“Since then, baseless FIRs have been filed, our trailer was blocked by police, and even newspapers avoid carrying ads. My family is threatened every day by political party workers,” she added.

In her letter, Joshi claimed that despite no official ban, “The Bengal Files” is facing an “unofficial ban” in West Bengal.

Calling the film the “cry of Maa Bharati”, she added: “The Bengal Files is the cry of Maa Bharati, scarred yet unbroken, a story of survival and hope. As a woman who rose from the margins to the highest constitutional office, only you can truly understand what it means to endure such pain and turn it into purpose.”

Pallavi concluded the post by saying: “Madam President, I seek not a favour for a film but space for art, for truth, for Maa Bharati’s soul to speak without fear. You are my final hope. Please protect our constitutional right and let The Bengal Files be shown in West Bengal peacefully. With respect and gratitude, Pallavi Joshi Producer, The Bengal Files.”

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