Central Board of Film Certification

Central Board of Film Certification

CBFC
Film Certification Body overview
Formed	15 January 1951; 75 years ago (1951-01-15)
Jurisdiction	India
Headquarters	Mumbai, Maharashtra
Film Certification Body executive	Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Chairperson
Parent Film Certification Body	Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Key document	Cinematograph Act, 1952
Website	cbfcindia.gov.in

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory film-certification body in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India. It is tasked with "regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952."^[1] The Cinematograph Act 1952 outlines a strict certification process for commercial films shown in public venues. Films screened in cinemas and on television may only be publicly exhibited in India after certification by the board and edited.^[2]

Film-certificate categories

The board currently issues four certificates. Originally, there were two: U (unrestricted public exhibition with family-friendly movies) and A (restricted to adult audiences but any kind of nudity not allowed). Two more were added in June 1983 that are U/A (unrestricted public exhibition, with parental guidance for children under 12) and S (restricted to specialised audiences, such as doctors or scientists).^[3] The board may refuse to certify a film.^[4] Additionally, V/U, V/UA, V/A are used for video films with U, U/A and A carrying the same meaning as above.^[5] Variations of the U/A certificate were introduced in November 2024: U/A 7+, U/A 13+ and U/A 16+.^[6]

Films with the U certification are fit for unrestricted public exhibition and are family-friendly. These films can contain universal themes like education, family, drama, romance, sci-fi, action etc. These films can also contain some mild violence, but it cannot be prolonged. It may also contain very mild sexual scenes (without any traces of nudity or sexual detail).

Films with the U/A certification can contain moderate adult themes that are not strong in nature and are not considered appropriate to be watched by a child without parental guidance. These films may contain moderate to strong violence, moderate sexual scenes (traces of nudity and moderate sexual detail can be found), frightening scenes, blood flow, or muted abusive language. Sometimes such films are re-certified with V/U for video viewing. The age threshold was previously set at 12 years of age, but in 2024 this was further refined to 7, 13 and 16 years of age.^[7]

• UA 7+ – Unrestricted public exhibition, but with parental guidance for children below the age of 7 years and appropriate above the age of seven.
• UA 13+ – Unrestricted public exhibition, but with parental guidance for children below the age of 13 years.
• UA 16+ – Unrestricted public exhibition, but with parental guidance for children below the age of 16 years.

Films with the A certification are available for public exhibition only for adults (18+). These films can contain strong violence, explicit and strong sexual scenes, abusive language, but words which insult or degrade women, men or any social group are not allowed.^{[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]} Controversial, adult or suggestive themes are considered unsuitable for young viewers. Such films are often re-certified with V/U and V/UA for TV, which does not happen in the case of U and U/A certified movies.^[15]

Films with S certification cannot be viewed by the public. Only people associated with it (doctors, scientists, etc.) are permitted to view these films.^[15]

The Indian Cinematograph Act came into effect in 1920^[16] , seven years after the production of India's first film: Dadasaheb Phalke's Raja Harishchandra. Censorship boards were originally independent bodies under the police chiefs of the cities of Madras (now Chennai), Bombay (now Mumbai), Calcutta (now Kolkata), Lahore (now in Pakistan), and Rangoon (now Yangon in Myanmar) it was amended again on 1 August 2023 with the introduction of Cinematography Amendment Bill. The bill awaits presidential assent.

After the 1947 independence of India, autonomous regional censors were absorbed into the Bombay Board of Film Censors. The Cinematograph Act of 1952 reorganised the Bombay board into the Central Board of Film Censors.^[17] With the 1983 revision of cinematography rules, the body was renamed the Central Board of Film Certification.^[18]

In 2021 the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) was scrapped by the Indian government.^[19][20]

The board's guiding principles are to ensure healthy public entertainment and education and, using modern technology, to make the certification process and board activities transparent to filmmakers, the media and the public also every video have to undergo CBFC certification for telecasting or distributing over any platform in India and suggestible same standards for anywhere in the world.^[21]

In addition to the certifications above, there is also the possibility of the board refusing to certify the film at all.

The board's guidelines are:

• Anti-social activities (such as violence) may not be glorified.
• Any Controversial topics
• Criminal acts may not be depicted.
• The following is prohibited:
  • a) Involvement of children in violent acts or abuse.
  • b) Abuse or ridicule of the physically or mentally handicapped.
  • c) Unnecessary depictions of cruelty to animals.
• Gratuitous violence, cruelty, or horror.
• No scenes encouraging alcohol consumption, drug addiction or smoking.
• No vulgarity, obscenity, depravity or double entendres.
• No scenes degrading women (despite many sexist movies being certified), including sexual violence (as much as possible).
• No denigration by race, religion or other social group.
• No promotion of sectarian, obscurantist, anti-scientific and anti-national attitudes.
• Relations with foreign countries should not be affected.
• No national symbols or emblems, except in accordance with the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 (12 of 1950).^[22]

Since 2004, censorship has been rigorously enforced. An incident was reported in which exhibitor staff – a clerk who sold the ticket, the usher, a theatre manager and the partners of the theatre complex – were arrested for non-compliance with certification rules for allowing minors to watch the Tamil language film 7/G Rainbow Colony which received A rating after certification.^[23]

CBFC faces criticism for arbitrary censorship, demanding cuts in films touching on caste, mythology, politics, and sensitive events like Gujarat riots in Empuraan. Filmmakers criticize increased "censorship raj", outdated laws like Cinematograph Act of 1952, and unimplemented Shyam Benegal reforms for age-based ratings.^[24][25] Film producers reportedly bribe the CBFC to obtain a U/A certificate, which entitles them to a 30-percent reduction in entertainment tax.^[26] The CBFC has been criticized for refusing to certify movies to prevent damaging India's relationship with other countries such as, investigative documentary No Fire Zone: In the Killing Fields of Sri Lanka^[27] and movies Porkalathil Oru Poo^[28] and Neelam,^[29] in view of protecting India-Sri Lanka relationship.^[30][31] It has also been criticized for acting in favor of corporate entities, for example CBFC's denial of certification for "Charlie and the Coca Cola Company: Quit India" in 2016, accusing the cola companies of abusing ground water, land, livelihoods, rivers, and the laws of the land.^[32]

• Official website