CBFC Archives

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A Peek into the Central Board for Film Certification

This post was first published on 2nd September, 2014. What is the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)? The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, regulating public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1952. Films can be publicly exhibited in India only after they have been certified by the CBFC. What is its constitution? The Board consists of non-official members and a Chairman (all of whom…

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Padmavati and Film Censorship: Fiction is Fact; Fact is Fiction!

Padmavati, the film based on Rani Padmini, has been the subject of controversy for a long time now. Though the revered queen's very existence is in question, members of the Rajput community, led by Karni Sena, started a protest against the film stating that the film defames their divine queen. Politicians quickly jumped onto the protest wagon, and voices for and against the Padmavati are now numerous. None of them have seen the film so far, but strongly believe that…

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Film Expression and Censorship in India: Intelligent, Informed Spectator standard (Part 5)

Continued from Part 4 , read part 4 by clicking here . Any concerns with respect to the content of films after certification may be addressed using the well accepted contemporary social standards test.[12] In other words, a film's contents must be assessed based on today's social context, norms and standards. The test must therefore assess a film from the stand point of today's spectator, and not a spectator of the last century. Intelligent, Informed Spectator The contemporary spectator, whose disposition…

March 25, 2017 Dr. Kalyan C. Kankanala Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law 0Comment 887Views 0Like

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Review Committee Reports, Benegal Committee report, Mudgal Committee report, Censorship Model (Part 4)

Continued from Part 3 , read part 3 by clicking here . Review Committee Reports The Benegal Committee and the Mudgal Committee constituted in 2016 and 2013 were tasked with the job of making recommendations for the process of film certification in India, Uniform, Non-Discriminatory and Non-Discretionary among others.[11] Though both the reports agree that the existing system of film certification is fraught with subjectivity, they diverge in their recommendations for making it objective. While the Mudgal Committee, in line with…

March 24, 2017 Dr. Kalyan C. Kankanala Copyrights, Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law 0Comment 1782Views 0Like

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The featured image reads "The worst thing about censorship is (the text after this line is blocked with a black tape". This image very aptly indicates censorship. To read more click here.

Film Expression and Censorship in India: An Introduction (Part 1)

Expression in the form of films is unique and special in many ways. Films merge life-like moving pictures, sounds, and other effects to tell a story, or send a message unlike any other form of expression. When the film is shown to a captive audience in a closed, dark environment, with the aid of advanced technology, its impact is heightened substantially. It is believed that one does not experience the same euphoria, emotion and engagement if the same film is…

March 21, 2017 Dr. Kalyan C. Kankanala Copyrights, Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law 0Comment 1462Views 0Like

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Udta Punjab and Online Piracy of Bollywood Movies

Udta Punjab, the recently released bollywood movie on substance abuse prevalent in Punjab has been mired in controversy from the beginning. Earlier, when the movie had commenced its shooting,the production unit faced trouble for not taking mandatory permission from the district administration and police authorities of Amritsar. However, recently the movie drew attention due to its certification and censorship by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) which became the bone of contention between the producers and the CBFC. In…