The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has reconstituted the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), commonly known as the censor board. The ministry has announced an 18-member board, bringing several well-known names from the film and television industries into the new team.
The new board includes Preity Zinta, Suniel Shetty, Pankaj Tripathi, television actress Rupali Ganguly, Pallavi Joshi and veteran Bengali actor Prosenjit Chatterjee. The board will function under the Cinematograph Act for a three-year term or until further orders.
Directors and musicians also join the board
The new 18-member panel includes not just actors but also notable names from cinema and music. Among them are three-time Grammy Award-winning musician Ricky Kej, filmmaker Priyadarshan, Hans Raj Hans and director Niladri Madhab Panda.
Manoj Joshi, Vinod Anupam, Abhishek Jain, Supriya Yarlagadda, Yatindra Mishra, Nishigandha Wad, Vaman Kendre and Ramesh Patange have also been appointed as members of the board.
Board reconstituted for the first time since 2017
The CBFC board has been reconstituted after a long gap. The censor board was last formally reconstituted in August 2017.
Earlier this month, the board held its first meeting in six years. Members discussed film certification, the functioning of revising committees, and the rules and regulations in detail.
New team appointed for a three-year term
The Central Government has constituted the new board under the powers granted by the Cinematograph Act. The members will serve for three years or until further orders from the government.
The board will certify films while considering the authenticity of content in Indian cinema, age-appropriate certification and the impact of films on society.
Central Board of Film Certification chairman Shashi Shekhar Vempati.
Shashi Shekhar Vempati to be censor board chairman
According to an order issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the reconstituted CBFC board will be headed by chairman Shashi Shekhar Vempati. Shashi Shekhar Vempati will take charge as the head of this statutory film certification body functioning under the ministry. The new board will oversee film certification, content reviews and the functioning of revising committees.
What is the CBFC and what does it do?
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory body that functions under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It is mandatory to obtain a certificate from the board for any film shown in cinemas or on television. The board classifies films into categories such as ‘U’, ‘UA’, ‘A’ and ‘S’, informing viewers about the age group for which a film is intended.
