Now Reading: CBFC accused of de facto bans, unlawful concealment of certificates
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CBFC accused of de facto bans, unlawful concealment of certificates
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has not watched the film *Monkey Man* for over a year, amounting to a de facto ban, The Hindu reports. The board has also removed…
The Story in Brief
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has not watched the film *Monkey Man* for over a year, amounting to a de facto ban, The Hindu reports. The board has also removed references to the government’s Covid-19 inaction from *Homebound*, India’s Oscar entry. In defiance of Section 5A(2) of the Cinematograph Act, the CBFC has stopped publishing certificates in the government Gazette and placed online details of certificates with cuts behind an ‘under maintenance’ sign. Archives have also stopped receiving cut portions of films for study.
The Indian Opinion
The claim that the CBFC is ‘captured’ by the ruling dispensation needs proof beyond selective examples. Many films with political messages do get certified, while others face cuts for violence or obscenity, not ideology. The real test of capture is whether the board follows its own law. On that count, the refusal to publish certificates in the Gazette and the indefinite silence on *Monkey Man* are indefensible, whoever is in power. The coming weeks will show if courts force the CBFC to obey the Cinematograph Act or if the board continues hiding behind ‘maintenance’ screens.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
