The Diary of West Bengal: Another controversial movie in the offing

Sanoj Mishra, the writer and director of the controversial movie The Diary of West Bengal has been served a legal notice by Kolkata Police and has been asked to be present at a city police station on May 30 for the purpose of questioning.
Police sources said that the trailer of the movie was released on YouTube recently, following which, there was a complaint on May 11, alleging that the movie seemed to have been made as a deliberate attempt to malign the image of West Bengal.
“Following preliminary investigation, the top brass of the city felt that there is sufficient ground to question the director in the matter and hence, a notice has been served to him asking him to report at Amherst Street Police station at 12 noon on May 30,” a city police official said.
The notice has been issued under Section 41A of the Criminal Procedure Code. (CrPC).
The legal notice, issued to Mishra, said that “there are reasonable grounds to question the director of the film to ascertain the facts and circumstances of this case.”
The notice further read, “Hence, you are directed to appear before Inspector Subhabrata Kar, Additional Officer-in-Charge of Amherst Street Police Station on 30.05.2023 at 12-00 hrs. at Amherst Street Police Station, 57, Raja Ram Mohan Sarani, Kolkata-9 for the purpose of investigation of the above referred case. Inspector-in-Charge, Oshiwara Police Station, Mumbai to serve the notice and to inform about service through return signal.”
Meanwhile, the controversial film is presented by Wasim Rizvi Films and produced by Jitendra Narayan Singh, with Tapas Mukherjee and Achintya Bosh serving as co-producers.
In its trailer, the film claimed that there were “mass murders, rapes and a Hindu exodus” occurring in West Bengal.
It was also said that Bengal is the new Kashmir of India.
Recently, the West Bengal government was in controversy for imposing a ban on the screening of The Kerala Story, on grounds that the content of the movie can hamper communal harmony in the state.
The director of the movie Subrata Sen moved the Supreme Court and the ban was finally lifted. The state government faced criticism from the opposition parties, civil society, intellectuals and celebrities for imposing the ban.
Film director Sanoj Mishra said that his movie is based on facts. He said there is an issue with the law and order situation in West Bengal.
Director Sanoj Mishra said, “I have made a movie based on facts. I urge the prime minister, home minister to intervene in the matter. There are a lot of mass murders, rapes and a Hindu exodus happening in West Bengal. I have done a lot of research and the movie is completely based on facts.”
“Once I go to West Bengal I will not return. However, I have made all the preparations for the movie and will release it soon. By August we are planning to release the movie. I will make sure the movie gets released,” he said.
Mishra added, “I am not against Didi (Mamata Banerjee), I am against the system.” (Agencies)