Actor-director Parambrata Chattopadhyay moved the Calcutta High Court Wednesday, seeking to quash an FIR registered against him at the Gariahat police station last week. The matter has been scheduled for a hearing on May 29 before the vacation bench of Justice Ajay Kumar Mukherjee.

The FIR also names actor Swastika Mukherjee and accuses them of inciting political violence through a social media post following the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. While Swastika Mukherjee appeared before the Gariahat police last week to record her statement, police sources confirmed that Chattopadhyay is yet to appear.

The complaint was lodged by advocate Joydeep Sen, who alleged that on May 2, 2021, shortly after the election results were declared, Chattopadhyay made social media comments that incited disharmony, hatred, and ill will among different religious, racial, and regional groups.

The legal trouble comes amid a shifting political landscape within the Bengali film industry (Tollywood). Following the BJP’s recent victory in the state elections and its formation of the government, BJP MLA and actor Rudranil Ghosh was tasked with addressing systemic issues in Tollywood, such as its “ban culture”.

Chattopadhyay recently said he was “forced to compromise” for his newborn child. During the election campaign, he was seen actively participating in roadshows in Namkhana alongside Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP June Maliah.

Chattopadhyay was previously part of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a group of 15 filmmakers, including Anirban Bhattacharya, Sudeshna Roy, and Indranil Roychowdhury, alleging that independent creators were unable to work freely.

The petition, moved in April 2025 before the bench of Justice Amrita Sinha, levelled various allegations against the Swarup Biswas-led Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI). However, sources indicate that Chattopadhyay later withdrew his petition after resolving his differences with the federation in a private meeting.