Kolkata, Sept. 6 -- The release of filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri's highly anticipated and controversial film, "The Bengal Files" has hit a roadblock in West Bengal, with no movie halls in Kolkata and across the state screening the film despite its nationwide release on September 5.

The absence of the movie from local theatres has ignited a fierce political battle between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with accusations of an "unofficial ban" dominating the discourse. While the TMC insists there is no formal prohibition, the film's makers and BJP leaders allege that pressure from the state government and police has coerced theatre owners into avoiding the screening, raising questions about ...