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The Bengal Files show cancelled in Mumbai’s Kanjurmarg despite advance bookings. Angry fan slams theatre in viral video: “Shivaji Maharaj ka bhoomi hai yeh, Kolkata nahi.”
The Bengal Files faced fresh hurdles in Mumbai as a scheduled screening at Kanjurmarg’s Huma Mall was abruptly cancelled, leaving angry fans disappointed. A video from the venue went viral.
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s much-talked-about film The Bengal Files finally hit theatres on Friday, September 5, but the release continues to be marred by controversy. While the film has not been released in West Bengal owing to political uproar, fresh reports from Mumbai suggest that screenings elsewhere are also facing unexpected hurdles.
Show Cancelled at Mumbai’s Kanjurmarg Theatre
A user named Narayan Parvathy Parasuram took to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday morning, claiming that the first-day, first-show of The Bengal Files was abruptly cancelled at Moviemax, Huma Mall, in Kanjurmarg, Mumbai.
In a video shared from the theatre’s ticket counter, Parasuram expressed his frustration, stating, “There are so many people waiting here to watch The Bengal Files, with many still standing in line. People who had booked advance tickets have had their shows randomly cancelled. This is absolutely denounceable. Shivaji Maharaj ka bhoomi hai yeh, Kolkata nahi hai yeh…”
He further added that around 50 people had turned up for the 9 AM show only to be told it would not run. Sharing the clip online, he wrote, “THE BENGAL FILES first day first show CANCELLED at Moviemax Kanjurmarg inspite of over 50% tickets booked for an early morning show!!!”
Pallavi Joshi’s Open Letter to President Murmu
The controversy follows an emotional open letter penned by actor-producer Pallavi Joshi just a day before the release. In her note addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, Joshi alleged political intimidation in West Bengal.
She wrote, “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. But in West Bengal, truth is under siege. Years before completion, the Chief Minister mocked the film. Since then, baseless FIRs have been filed, our trailer was blocked by police, and even newspapers avoid carrying ads.”
She further claimed, “My family is threatened every day by political party workers. Now theatre owners have told us they are being intimidated, threatened and are refusing to screen it, fearing violence by ruling party workers. There is no official ban, yet an unofficial ban silences the film before people can see it.”
About The Bengal Files
Directed by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Abhishek Agarwal, Pallavi Joshi, and Agnihotri himself, The Bengal Files is the third part of the director’s controversial Files Trilogy, which includes The Kashmir Files and The Tashkent Files.
Set against the blood-soaked backdrop of the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings and Direct Action Day, the film attempts to bring forth testimonies and incidents of communal violence that, according to the makers, have long been suppressed.
The film stars Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumaar, and Simratt Kaur in pivotal roles. Despite the political storm, screenings across the country have begun, though reports like the Mumbai cancellation underline the roadblocks the film continues to face.
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun…Read More
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun… Read More
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September 05, 2025, 16:25 IST
