The Bengal Files trailer is finally out, and it promises to spark intense conversations across the country. Directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, the film dives into West Bengal’s violent political past, using real-life testimonies and historical incidents as its foundation. The launch event was held on Saturday (August 16) in Kolkata amid major controversies.
What’s In The Bengal Files Trailer?
The Bengal Files trailer is packed with haunting visuals and dialogue that aim to confront decades of communal and political unrest. One striking voice says, “Yeh Paschim Bangal hai, yaha do constitution chalta hai, ek Hinduon ka, ek Musalmanon ka.” Another dialogue describes the state’s significance: “Sirf Zameen ka tukda nahi, Bharat ka light house hai Bangal.”
It ends with a thought-provoking question: “Kyu Azaadi ke 80 saal baad bhi hum ussi communal politics se ladh rahe hai? Kya hum aazad hai?” The scenes are paired with heavy silences and unsettling imagery that intend to make viewers reflect on Bengal’s turbulent history and its impact on present-day politics.
Starring Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Anupam Kher, Simratt Kaur, and Darshan Kumaar, the film continues Agnihotri’s Files trilogy, which earlier included The Kashmir Files and The Tashkent Files.
Watch The Bengal Files Trailer
Vivek Agnihotri On The Story’s Urgency
Soon after the trailer launch, Agnihotri called the project a “wake-up call.” He said, “The Bengal Files is a wake-up call… a roar that we will not let Bengal become another Kashmir. We decided to launch the trailer in Kolkata to bring authenticity to the portrayal of untold story of Hindu Genocide, and you will witness a glimpse of it in the trailer. The nation should prepare… because if Kashmir hurt you, Bengal will haunt you.”
The Bengal Files Trailer Launch Controversy
While the trailer eventually premiered at a five-star hotel in Kolkata, the road to the event was far from smooth. On Friday, Agnihotri posted a video on X (formerly Twitter). He revealed that a leading theatre chain had cancelled the planned launch at the last moment. According to him, the organisers cited “political pressure” and fears of unrest as the reasons.
Just landed in Kolkata and learnt that the venue for the trailer launch of #TheBengalFiles is cancelled.
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) August 15, 2025
Who wants to suppress our voice?
And why?
But I can’t be silenced. Because truth can’t be silenced.
ट्रेलर तो कोलकाता में ही लांच होगा।
Pl share this video and support… pic.twitter.com/xraD7w9sRb
In the video, Agnihotri expressed his frustration and said, “We had all the permissions and writing in correspondence for the launch. So our entire team came to Kolkata, but now we have come to know that the event has been cancelled.”
Calling the cancellation a sad commentary on our democracy, he went on to ask, “Are there two constitutions in India, one for Indians and the other for West Bengal?”
Despite the setback, Agnihotri ensured that the trailer was unveiled in Kolkata as planned.
Talking about the film, The Bengal Files is produced by Abhishek Agarwal, Pallavi Joshi, and Vivek Agnihotri. It continues the filmmaker’s series of socially charged dramas, following the success and controversy of his previous works.
