Trailer launch of controversial film 'The Bengal Files' 'stopped' by Kolkata Police
Kolkata, Aug 16 (PTI): Kolkata Police on Saturday stopped the trailer launch of 'The Bengal Files', based on the 1946 Calcutta Riots, its director Vivek Agnihotri claimed.
The trailer of the controversial film was slated to be screened at a five-star hotel in the metropolis in the afternoon.
Police personnel present at the venue refused to comment on the issue.
Agnihotri, however, alleged that it was an attack on the democratic rights of people, as the censor board had cleared the film and "the Calcutta High Court stayed a ban on it".
The screening of the trailer was first stopped by a representative of the hotel around 1 pm, who said that permission had been granted for only a press conference, he said.
"If the hotel authorities wanted to stop the screening, why had they given permission to hold the press meet in the first place? How can a film's press meet be held without screening of its trailer?" Agnihotri said.
As the trailer was shown again a little later, "suddenly five-six Kolkata Police officers entered the banquet hall where the programme was being held and stopped the screening midway," the director claimed.
The filmmaker was also seen engaged in a heated argument with the police personnel and a hotel staff.
Agnihotri indicated that the screening was stopped at the behest of the ruling Trinamool Congress and "someone at top".
He alleged ruling party also exerted pressure on the hotel management to halt the trailer midway.
He asserted that 'The Bengal Files', "which is based on facts and has passed the censor hurdle", was being prevented from screening by the regime run by Trinamool Congress.
Asked if he meant the administration helmed by Mamata Banererjee, he told reporters, "I merely said someone at the top level."
In a post on X, he said, "With anguish I inform you: Today West Bengal police, on orders of 'top authorities', illegally stopped the trailer of #TheBengalFiles. First theatres, now even a private hotel. Who fears the truth of Hindu genocide? And why? Democracy is dead in Tagore & Vivekananda's land."
"The trailer is now being seen all over the country, but since it is based in Bengal, we wanted its launch here. They don't want the atrocities on Bengali Hindus in 1946 and the fightback of people like Gopal Mukherjee to be shown in cinema. If it is a part of history, do you want to change history?" he told reporters.
"There can be only one reason behind such a move, to ignore the conspiracy to divide Bengal again," Agnihotri said.
The trailer was later screened at the BJP party office in Salt Lake before party functionaries and the media.
'The Bengal Files' delves into the communal violence in undivided Bengal during the 1940s.
The film is scheduled to release in theatres on September 5.
Producer Abhishek Agarwal told PTI that "no force can stop us to release the film on September 5."
"We are taking advice from legal experts. The trailer launch programme had no legal hurdles. We will move the court soon after today's development," he said.
State BJP leaders Shankudeb Panda and Sisir Bajoria were also present at the trailer launch programme.
Reacting to the incident, Senior TMC leader and state Education Minister Bratya Basu wondered why Agnihotri was not making a film on the Gujarat riots of 2000.
"Is he working for the RSS-BJP? And about the police and hotel authorities' action, I can say that it was purely an administrative decision," Basu added.
Panda said, "The presence of policemen at a film's trailer launch programme is unthinkable. They forcibly stopped the screening of the trailer, which proves there is no democracy in Bengal. Leave it for the audience what to see and not when the censor board had already passed it."
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
