The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has issued a five-point advisory to filmmakers and producers, emphasising the procedures and guidelines for availing certification for their films. The communication follows the reconstitution of the censor board through an 18-member panel in September.
The advisory mandates films to be submitted in their complete and final form. It also cautions filmmakers that announced release dates will not be considered grounds for expedited processing. The advisory, issued under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, also clarifies that titles submitted by producers are not automatically considered approved or final.
According to the advisory, films submitted for examination must include all final elements, including titles, credits, subtitles, disclaimers, censor certificate slates, background score, music, sound mix and applicable accessibility features such as closed captions and audio descriptions. Only the version duly certified by the CBFC can be exhibited in theatres.
The board has warned producers against submitting incomplete or work-in-progress prints containing placeholder graphics, temporary scores or missing accessibility features. Such applications may be treated as non-compliant, potentially resulting in delays, their return or rejection, the board said.
Furthermore, an application will be considered received only once all requisite documents and formalities have been completed, with its place in the examination queue determined by that date.
The advisory further states that film titles, including those used in trailers, teasers and promotional material, remain subject to scrutiny and possible modification by the Examining or Revising Committee. Producers have been advised against publicising or committing to titles as final before certification.
Emphasising that certification will follow the prescribed statutory procedures and timelines, irrespective of a film’s announced release or promotional launch date, the CBFC said producers should not expect the Board to compress its timelines to accommodate self-imposed release schedules. It has urged applicants to submit their films sufficiently in advance, factoring in examination, committee review and any modifications or cuts that may be directed.
The union government in September reconstituted the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), appointing an 18-member panel with immediate effect. The new board comprises actors, musicians, filmmakers, theatre artists and writers, including Preity Zinta, Suniel Shetty, Pankaj Tripathi, Manoj Joshi, Roopali Ganguly, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Pallavi Joshi, filmmaker Priyadarshan and three-time Grammy Award-winning musician Ricky Kej.
Other appointees include film critic Vinod Anupam, director Abhishek Jain, producer Supriya Yarlagadda, filmmaker Neela Madhab Panda, musician Hansraj Hans and poet Yatindra Mishra. Waman Kendre and Ramesh Patange are the only two members retained from the previous board.