In this episode of News That Matters, we critically examine Vivek Agnihotri’s upcoming film The Bengal Files and its controversial portrayal of historical figures. Based on the trailer, the film depicts Gopal Pattha, also known as Gopal Mukherjee, as a violent Hindu leader and anti-Gandhi figure, allegedly inciting hatred against Muslims during the 1946 Direct Action Day riots. However, Pattha’s family and historians have strongly disputed this portrayal. They claim that he was actually influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of non-violence and actively worked to protect both Hindu and Muslim families during communal unrest. The film’s trailer has sparked outrage, leading to an FIR and a legal notice filed by Pattha’s descendants, highlighting how the historical character has been misrepresented as a “Hindu butcher” and a communal aggressor. This episode delves into how Agnihotri’s films, including The Kashmir Files and now The Bengal Files, follow a recurring pattern: dramatizing sensitive events, creating communal polarization, and capitalizing on public sentiment for political and commercial gains, rather than presenting accurate history. We also explore the broader implications of such propaganda films on Indian society, questioning whether cinema is being used to foster division under the guise of storytelling. This analysis looks at how political narratives and communal agendas can influence filmmaking, raising concerns about the ethics of historical representation in media.