All posts tagged: censor board

Amid Satluj row, CBFC member on how films are certified: ‘No anti-national themes’ | Bollywood News

Amid Satluj row, CBFC member on how films are certified: ‘No anti-national themes’ | Bollywood News

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4 min readNew DelhiJul 9, 2026 02:27 PM IST With films such as Satluj and Jana Nayagan still awaiting certification, the functioning of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has once again come under scrutiny. Amid the ongoing debate, CBFC board member Raaj Mishra had earlier explained how the certification process works and the factors the board considers while issuing certificates. Speaking to Vimarsh-Naarad TV, Mishra said, “It is a crime to exhibit a film for public viewing without CBFC certification. It is a punishable offence.” Explaining the board’s structure, he said, “The chairman of the CBFC is appointed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Currently, the chairman is Prasoon Joshi.” According to Mishra, every film is first examined by a five-member committee. “Every film is viewed by a committee of five members. If at least three of the five members approve it, the film is granted a certificate,” he said. Certifications given by CBFC He further elaborated on the different categories of certification. “There are three types of certificates. The first is …

Meenakshi Seshadri recalls CBFC’s Ghatak diktat amid Satluj row

Meenakshi Seshadri recalls CBFC’s Ghatak diktat amid Satluj row

Published by Parlour News

4 min readNew DelhiJul 8, 2026 12:06 PM IST The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has once again found itself at the centre of controversy following the Satluj row. But as actor Meenakshi Sheshadri recently pointed out, questions over the board’s seemingly inconsistent standards are far from new. For decades, filmmakers have raised concerns over why certain scenes are cleared in one film while similar content faces objections in another, often without detailed public explanations. ‘Keep violence, remove kiss’ Speaking to Faridoon Shahryar, Meenakshi recalled her association with filmmaker Rahul Rawail and actor Sunny Deol, sharing an anecdote from the making of their 1987 film Dacait. “A lot of people don’t know that I had done a screen test for Betaab. Dharam Ji always wanted to cast me. He once told me, ‘I couldn’t cast you then, and you went on to work with Manoj Kumar and Subhash Ghai, and gave a blockbuster like Hero. I have to cast you someday.’ When Ghayal happened, he felt it was poetic justice because I finally worked …

Before Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj, here are four other Indian OTT films, shows which had got into trouble

Before Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj, here are four other Indian OTT films, shows which had got into trouble

Published by Parlour News

The controversy around Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj continues to grow by the hour. After getting a guerilla release (sudden drop on Zee5 without any prior information or promotions, three years after being stuck at the Censor Board level), Diljit went live on Instagram and claimed that the viewers should watch and download it before it is pulled down. Satluj And his prediction came true- it was indeed pulled from the streaming platform without any concrete reason on Sunday evening. The statement from Zee5 simply attributed it to, “…in light if the current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice.” Diljit, meanwhile has encouraged his fans to circulate pirated copies of the film, even as Zee5 requested fans to wait till they bring the film back. Satluj, earlier titled Panjab’95, revolves around the disappearance of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra in 1995. This isn’t the first time an Indian web show or film has had to face trouble. While any legal issues are yet to be declared for Satluj, we revisit some past …

The Voice of Hind Rajab’s India release blocked by CBFC, board member says ‘It would affect India-Israel relationship’ | Regional News

The Voice of Hind Rajab’s India release blocked by CBFC, board member says ‘It would affect India-Israel relationship’ | Regional News

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3 min readNew DelhiMar 20, 2026 09:33 PM IST The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has blocked the Indian theatrical release of Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated film The Voice of Hind Rajab. The film was scheduled to release in India on March 6, ahead of the Oscars on March 16, but was denied clearance over concerns that it could strain India-Israel relations. Distributor Manoj Nandwana, head of Mumbai-based Jai Viratra Entertainment, told Variety that the CBFC refused certification because “the film is very sensitive.” The Voice of Hind Rajab is based on the real story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was trapped in a car attacked by Israeli forces in Gaza and was later found dead. Manoj Nandwana revealed that he had screened the film for the CBFC in February in hopes of securing timely approval for its planned March 6 release. However, the clearance never came through. According to him, a CBFC member said, “If it gets released, it would affect the India-Israel relationship.” Disagreeing with the reasoning, Nandwana said, “I told …

Kerala HC pulls up CBFC for ignoring guidelines on social harmony in certifying The Kerala Story 2: ‘Disregard of law’

Kerala HC pulls up CBFC for ignoring guidelines on social harmony in certifying The Kerala Story 2: ‘Disregard of law’

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Hours before The Kerala Story 2 was to hit the screens, the Kerala High Court first granted a stay on the film’s release, then considered an appeal against the interim order, and reserved its verdict in the matter. The film has not been released in theatres, with its fate uncertain. However, the court has pulled up the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for how it certified the film, calling it ‘manifest disregard of the applicable law’. The CBFC had certified the film U/A. Director of The Kerala Story 2, Kamakhya Narayan Singh, and producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah during the film’s promotions. (ANI) Kerala HC pulls up CBFC in The Kerala Story 2 case On Thursday, in its order granting an interim stay against the release of The Kerala Story 2, the Kerala High Court said that prima facie there is ‘non-application of mind’ by the censor board while certifying the movie. The court also said that the guidelines for ensuring a film does not disrupt social harmony appear not to have been adhered to …

HC stays Kerala Story 2 release: Court says ‘non-application of mind by CBFC while certifying the movie’ | Bollywood News

HC stays Kerala Story 2 release: Court says ‘non-application of mind by CBFC while certifying the movie’ | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

3 min readNew DelhiFeb 26, 2026 03:02 PM IST After hearing the plea against the film, The Kerala Story 2, the Kerala High Court granted an interim stay on the film on Thursday, one day before the film’s scheduled release. As per PTI, the court ordered a stay saying that “prima facie there is non-application of mind by the censor board while certifying the movie.” Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas passed the order on two pleas challenging the release of the film. The HC also said that the guidelines, that ensure that social harmony is not disrupted by a film, were seemingly not adhered to by the CBFC. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas of the Kerala HC’s order said, “Prima facie, these guidelines do not appear to have been borne in mind by the CBFC while granting certification.” The film has received a U/A certificate and the makers claimed that they were given 16 cuts by the CBFC, however, the nature of these cuts was not revealed to the petitioners’ counsels. The court has now directed CBFC …

Big turn in Thalapathy Vijay’s last film battle as makers decide to…

Big turn in Thalapathy Vijay’s last film battle as makers decide to…

Published by Parlour News

Jana Nayagan’ Release Row: Big turn in Thalapathy Vijay’s last film battle as makers decide to… Home News and Gossip Jana Nayagan’ Release Row: Big turn in Thalapathy Vijay’s last film battle as makers decide to… Vijay’s film Jana Nayakan was earlier scheduled to release on January 9 (Pongal), but the release was postponed due to lack of certification from the censor board. Now, the case takes a new turn. Read on to know more. Vijay’s film Jana Nayakan has been in controversy for a long time. The film was earlier scheduled to release on January 9 (Pongal), but the release was postponed due to lack of certification from the censor board. This caused a lot of confusion among fans. Gradually, the matter reached the court and a legal battle began. Now suddenly there is news that the makers of the film are considering withdrawing from this legal battle. With this, the entire story has taken a new turn …

Amid Jana Nayagan’s controversy, Ram Gopal Varma says ‘censor board is outdated’: ‘It insults viewers’ | Bollywood News

Amid Jana Nayagan’s controversy, Ram Gopal Varma says ‘censor board is outdated’: ‘It insults viewers’ | Bollywood News

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With the Jana Nayagan vs Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) battle continuing unabated, social media is abuzz with discussions on film censorship and the extent of power such statutory bodies must possess and can exercise. Now, veteran filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, known for not mincing words when commenting on virtually anything, has chimed in, sharing his views on the topic. Maintaining that the “censor board is outdated,” Varma pointed out that in the current digital era, when people can tune into anything irrespective of their age, censorship is pointless. He went one step further and stated that censorship “insults the viewers.” Mentioning that his post pertains not just to the ongoing Jana Nayagan controversy but to censorship as a whole, the director began by stating that it’s “foolish” to think the censor board is still relevant today. He also blamed the film industry for allowing the CBFC to exist for so long. In a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “It (CBFC) has long outlived its purpose, but it’s being kept alive …

Parasakthi: Censor Board Clears Sivakarthikeyan’s Film For Release With U/A Certificate | Tamil Cinema News

Parasakthi: Censor Board Clears Sivakarthikeyan’s Film For Release With U/A Certificate | Tamil Cinema News

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Last Updated:January 09, 2026, 15:29 IST On Friday, the CBFC cleared the release of Sivakarthikeyan’s highly anticipated film ‘Parasakthi’ with a U/A certificate. It will release on January 10. Parasakthi: Censor Board Clears Sivakarthikeyan’s Film For Release With U/A Certificate The Central Board of Film Certification on Friday cleared the release of director Sudha Kongara’s eagerly awaited upcoming period film, ‘Parasakthi’, featuring actors Sivakarthikeyan, Ravi Mohan, Atharvaa and Sreeleela in the lead, for release with a U/A certificate, much to the delight of fans and film buffs. Confirming the development, the production house Red Giant Movies wrote on its X timeline, “A fire that speaks to all ages. #Parasakthi censored with a U/A – striking theatres worldwide from Tomorrow. #ParasakthiFromPongal #ParasakthiFromJan10.” The clearance from the Censor Board has made theatre owners and distributors heave a sigh of relief. It may be noted that the censor certificate comes just a day before the release of the film. The film is scheduled to hit screens on January 10. It may be recalled that the release of the …

Hansal Mehta recalls how Omerta was saved by Vivek Agnihotri from censorship: ‘He fought the most with the censor board | Bollywood News

Hansal Mehta recalls how Omerta was saved by Vivek Agnihotri from censorship: ‘He fought the most with the censor board | Bollywood News

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If you look closely at Hansal Mehta’s filmography, there is what one could describe as a Muslim trilogy: Shahid, Omerta and Faraaz. As hard-hitting and politically incisive as these films are, they also deal with subjects that are risky to tackle in today’s socio-political climate, especially Omerta, which chronicled the life of terrorist Omar Saeed Sheikh. Hansal recently, in an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, opened up about how difficult it was to make a film like Omerta and the battles he faced with censorship, with the CBFC demanding multiple cuts. In a particularly acrimonious phase of these negotiations, he found an unlikely ally in filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri. Recalling a deleted scene that the Censor Board strongly objected to, Hansal said, “There was a scene where the Indian National Anthem is playing in the jail. He’s (Omar) in jail, it’s Independence Day, the entire jail is there, the flag has been hoisted, the National Anthem is on. And this guy has taken off his pants and he’s peeing in his cell. He hasn’t gone out, he’s …