Calcutta High Court rejects plea by Gopal Patha's grandson to stop release of The Bengal Files movie

The Calcutta High Court on Monday dismissed a plea filed by the grandson of Gopal Mukherjee, also known as Gopal Patha, against the release of the movie 'The Bengal Files'.

Justice Amrita Sinha noted that the writ petition filed by Shantanu Mukherjee was premised on the inaction on the part of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to reply to his Right to Information (RTI) application seeking details about the board's consideration of the depiction of historical figures in the movie.

The writ petition filed on the said cause of action will not be maintainable, the Court said.

"It is hereby dismissed," the Court ordered.

Shantanu Mukherjee filed the petition against the release of The Bengal Files.

The plea argued that the film misrepresents his grandfather, portraying him with derogatory terms such as “patha” (goat) and “kasai” (butcher).

He argued that such depictions dishonour the legacy of Gopal Patha, who played a prominent role in protecting Hindu neighbourhoods of central Kolkata during the communal riots that followed Direct Action Day in 1946.

Mukherjee told the court that he had earlier issued a legal notice to the filmmaker, filed multiple FIRs, and even sought information from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) through an RTI application. However, he claimed he received no response.

His petition sought the removal or modification of scenes that he said maligned his grandfather, as well as a stay on the film’s release in West Bengal.

The petition also called for an independent probe into the role of the CBFC, pointing out that director Agnihotri himself is a board member and should recuse from decisions concerning the film.