• By Tanya Garg
  • Tue, 19 Aug 2025 10:22 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND

The Bengal Files directed by Vivek Agnihotri, is embroiled in a new controversy with a formal complaint against the director by Shantanu Mukherjee, the grandson of well-known Gopal Mukherjee. The fillmmaker is accused of misrepresenting his grandfather in the upcoming movie. A legal notice has been sent to Agnihotri, requesting an apology for the purported misrepresentation of his grandfather's identity.

Gopal Mukherjee, also called Gopal Patha, was a well-known Bengali warrior. He was instrumental in containing the 1946 riots and defending Hindus throughout the world. But according to Shantanu, The Bengal Files for what he describes as the inaccurate portrayal of his grandfather's life, harming the community as well as his family. His grandson has also sent Agnihotri a legal notice, requesting a public apology, according to a report by India Today.

Gopal Mukherjee's character is introduced as 'Ek Tha Kashai Gopal Patha,' a term his grandson refuses to get on board with. Shantanu said, "My grandfather was called Kasai (butcher), also called Patha (goat), which is disrespectful. I think Vivek Agnihotri should research more on this. From where did they get this wrong information? He has not contacted us either. That's why we are protesting this and will continue to do so. In protest, we have sent a legal notice to Vivek Agnihotri and also filed an FIR."

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The Bengal Files is already dealing with a number of FIRs and political disagreements in West Bengal, and this controversy only maDE matters worse.

About The Bengal Files

Pallavi Joshi, Abhishek Agarwal, and Agnihotri co-produced The Bengal Files, which Agnihotri wrote and directed. Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Mithun Chakraborty, Simratt Kaur, and Darshan Kumar are among its cast members. The Kashmir Files and the Tashkent Files are also part of Vivek's Files trilogy. It will hit the big screens on September 5th, 2025.

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Bengal's violence, especially the killing of Hindus in Calcutta and later in Noakhali, Bihar, and other areas, is the focus of The Bengal Files. During the riots, temples, mosques, and businesses were set on fire, and there were street fights, rapes, murders, and looting. An estimated 5,000 to 10,000 people were killed during the days-long bloodshed, according to reports. The Bengal Files is based on archival research, survivor narratives, and records from the time period, according to Agnihotri, although some people are concerned that the movie would exacerbate tensions between communities.