The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has come under scrutiny after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued revised guidelines for film certification on September 16 under Section 5B(2) of the Cinematograph Act. The government has listed the revised guidelines on its website as the new framework for certification.
Among the provisions are guidelines against content that promotes “communal, obscurantist, anti-scientific or anti-national attitudes.” The guidelines also state that films should not strain India’s friendly relations with foreign states. These areas are already connected to statutory limits under the Cinematograph Act, including provisions concerning sovereignty and integrity, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states and public order.
The changes have triggered a heated discussion online, with some netizens linking the new guidelines to Salman Khan’s upcoming film Matrubhoomi. However, social-media speculation about how the rules might affect a particular film should be distinguished from any official CBFC decision on that film.
Several users criticised what they see as an expansion of the CBFC’s role. One user wrote, “CBFC is a censor board, not a certification board like its name claims to be,” and argued that documentary makers should release uncensored versions on platforms beyond government control.
Another questioned whether the rules would be applied uniformly, writing, “They won’t follow this for propaganda movies. This is only for the movies they don’t want people to see. Indian cinema is as good as dead.”
Concerns over selective implementation were echoed by another user, who wrote, “Going to be followed very selectively and with extreme bias. Not going to add to this.”
A fourth user objected to the terminology surrounding the changes, saying, “Actually, calling them guidelines seems insincere; edicts would be a better word. Call yourself the Central Board of Film Censorship.”
Another user highlighted the distinction between certification and censorship, arguing that the CBFC’s role is supposed to be certification rather than deciding what scenes should be removed.
The CBFC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and regulates the public exhibition of films under the Cinematograph Act. Films intended for public exhibition in India require CBFC certification.
The latest changes have therefore opened up a wider debate among filmmakers and audiences over the balance between film certification, creative freedom and the regulatory limits placed on cinematic content.
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