Vivek Agnihotri’s new film The Bengal Files will release on September 5, 2025. The part of Agnihotri’s trilogy, this movie is already surrounded by controversies.
Like his earlier films, The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files, this movie has also started debates. The story is based on the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings and the Noakhali riots, violent events that happened in Bengal before India’s Partition.
At the center of this film is Gopal Chandra Mukherjee, famously known as Gopal Patha, whose role during the 1946 riots continues to divide opinion.
Is The Bengal Files a Real Story?
The film is based on real events from Bengal’s history, and the storyline draws from the violence of Direct Action Day in 1946, which later influenced the Partition of India. While the makers initially planned to title the film The Delhi Files, they changed it to The Bengal Files since the plot focuses entirely on Bengal.
The timing of the release has also raised eyebrows, as the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections are expected in March-April 2026. Critics believe the political atmosphere adds more fire to the film’s controversy.
Who Was Gopal Patha?
Gopal Patha was born in Kolkata in 1913. Though short in height, five feet and four inches, he built a powerful reputation around him, and police records described him as a gang leader with hundreds of followers who could act on his command. His influence in the streets of Kolkata was both feared and respected.
Patha became a central figure when the Muslim League tried to take control of Calcutta by force in 1946. With whatever weapons he and his men could find, sticks, spears, knives, and even guns, he created a wall of resistance, and from that time, his supporters call him the man who saved Calcutta from surrender.
Gopal Patha Real Name
Gopal Patha’s real name was Gopal Chandra Mukherjee. He later became known as “Patha,” a nickname linked to his family business.
Why Is His Family Objecting?
The controversy today is not only about the events of 1946 but also about how Gopal Patha is shown in the film. In August, his grandson Shantanu Mukherjee filed a police complaint against filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri. He claimed the movie misrepresents his grandfather’s role.
“Being the representative of my family ethos, I find it objectionable that my late grandfather has been spoken of and depicted in an utterly defamatory manner,” Shantanu wrote in his complaint. He demanded that derogatory scenes be removed from the film.
The family says that instead of showing Patha’s efforts to save lives, the film reduces him to “a rabble-rousing Muslim-hating butcher.”
Was Gopal Patha Anti-Muslim?
This is the most debated question, as many remember him as a “protector of Hindus,” his family rejects the idea that he hated Muslims. His grandson Santanu Mukherjee recalls that Patha saved several Muslim families during the riots.
He sheltered Muslims on their house terrace and even protected the family of a rickshaw-puller named Rafique chacha. His sister also confirmed that local Muslims respected the Mukherjee family for this.
In a 1997 interview, Gopal Mukherjee himself spoke about his principles. He said, “I had strict orders not to misbehave with or kill women, even if they were Muslims. In our history, even Ravan was destroyed for kidnapping Sita. Therefore, I had given two strict orders: do not loot and do not misbehave with women.”
Gopal Patha passed away in 2005, but the debate over his image continues.
What is Gopal Patha’s Story?
Gopal Patha played a major role during the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings, also called Direct Action Day, and when riots broke out. He organized groups of young men to defend Hindus from attacks.
Armed with sticks, knives, and even guns, his men stood against the Muslim League’s attempts to dominate Calcutta. Many people credit him with protecting parts of the city during the chaos.
Gopal Patha Family
Gopal Patha came from a Bengali Hindu family in Kolkata. His family ran a meat shop on College Street, which gave him his nickname. Even today, his descendants live in the same ancestral home in North Kolkata. His family has often spoken about his legacy, especially when filmmakers or historians portray him.
Gopal Patha Biography
Born in 1913 in Kolkata, Gopal Chandra Mukherjee grew up in a modest family and became known for his leadership during the riots of 1946. Though police records described him as a gang leader, many saw him as a hero who defended Hindus.
He was strict with his men, giving clear orders not to loot or harm women. His role remains controversial, but his name continues to appear in discussions on Bengal’s Partition-era history.
Gopal Patha Meat Shop
The nickname “Patha” means goat in Bengali, and it came from his family’s meat shop in College Street. This shop became his identity marker, and people across Kolkata began calling him “Gopal Patha.”
Gopal Patha Grandson Name
One of his grandsons is Shantanu (Santanu) Mukherjee. He has recently been in the news for opposing filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s movie The Bengal Files, claiming it shows his grandfather in a negative light.
How Did Gopal Patha Save Kolkata?
During the Direct Action Day riots of 1946, Kolkata was in chaos. Gopal Patha gathered hundreds of men and armed them with whatever weapons they could find. They created a defense to protect the Hindu areas of the city. His actions are remembered as one of the reasons large parts of Kolkata did not fall to rioters. At the same time, his family insists he also protected Muslim families in his neighborhood by sheltering them in his home.
Which Movie Is Based on Gopal Patha?
The upcoming film The Bengal Files by Vivek Agnihotri is based on events from 1946, and Gopal Patha is one of its central characters. The film is scheduled to release on September 5, 2025.
Gopal Patha: How He Died
Gopal Patha lived a long life and passed away in 2005. By then, his role in the Partition-era riots had become part of Bengal’s historical debate.
Film, Politics, and Controversy
Adding to the drama, Agnihotri recently claimed that Kolkata Police stopped the trailer launch of The Bengal Files at the last moment in August. Police sources said no permission had been given, while the BJP condemned the move.
The film, starring Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi, releases on September 5, 2025. Whether it will honor or distort the memory of Gopal Patha is now at the center of heated discussions in Bengal and beyond.
