Sanoj Mishra, director of The Diary of West Bengal, has gone missing after travelling to Kolkata.
The controversy surrounding The Diary of West Bengal began earlier this year following the release of its trailer. Its depiction of violence in West Bengal triggered widespread criticism.
Sanoj Mishra, the director of the controversial film The Diary of West Bengal, has reportedly gone missing after travelling to Kolkata. According to media reports, Mishra was summoned by the Kolkata Police for questioning related to his film. Since his arrival in the city, he has been unreachable, with his phone turned off for the past 48 hours.
The controversy surrounding The Diary of West Bengal began earlier this year following the release of its trailer. The film’s depiction of violence in West Bengal triggered widespread criticism, leading to numerous threats against Mishra from various quarters. The situation escalated when the West Bengal Police issued a legal notice to him, accusing the film of tarnishing the state’s reputation.
Mishra’s family is deeply concerned about his disappearance, believing it to be connected to the threats he has been receiving due to his work on the film. His wife, Dwiti Mishra, shared her concerns in an interview with ABP Live. She revealed that her husband left home on the morning of August 14 to catch a flight to Kolkata after being summoned by the Kolkata Police. Mishra had promised to call her in the afternoon but has not been heard from since his arrival in Kolkata.
Dwiti Mishra explained that the last person to see Sanoj was his nephew, who dropped him off at the airport at around 7:30 am. Mishra’s flight was scheduled for 9:00 am, but after landing in Kolkata, all attempts to contact him failed. His wife grew increasingly anxious as the day progressed, and by evening, she decided to seek police assistance.
Initial investigations by the police revealed that Mishra’s phone was briefly active near a temple in Kolkata on the evening of August 15. However, it was switched off shortly afterward, and no further leads have been found. Dwiti has since filed a formal complaint at the Gomti Nagar police station, fearing that her husband’s life may be in danger.
Mishra’s wife firmly believes that his disappearance is linked to the ongoing legal troubles and threats surrounding the film. “He had been receiving continuous threats since the trailer was released,” Dwiti said, voicing her concern that her husband might be a victim of a larger conspiracy to silence him.
Meanwhile, The Diary of West Bengal is scheduled for release on August 30, 2024. In the latest legal development, the Kolkata Police also summoned Wasim Rizvi, associated with the film, in connection with an ongoing investigation under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Information Technology Act, and the Cinematograph Act.
