# Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi among 18 new CBFC members 2026-09-16T16:26:46+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets The government has reconstituted the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with 18 new members, including actors Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty, and Prosenjit Chatterjee. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued the notification on September 16 under the Cinematograph Act, 1952. The new board will serve a three-year term with immediate effect. Other members include filmmaker Priyadarshan, musician Ricky Kej, and television actor Roopali Ganguly. This is the first reconstitution of the CBFC since 2017. The previous board had 12 members, two of whom died in 2021 and 2022, leaving only a few actively involved. A government official told Hindustan Times that a broader reconstitution was necessary to make it a full-fledged board. Shashi Shekhar Vempati remains chairperson, having been appointed in May 2026 after Prasoon Joshi stepped down. Waman Kendre and Ramesh Patange are the only members retained from the previous board. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Coverage is uniform straight reporting across all sources. Every outlet leads with the same list of 18 members and the three-year term. ABP Live, Economic Times, and both Hindustan Times articles are neutral factual announcements. Hindustan Times adds context about the previous board's inactivity and past censorship criticism, but frames it as background, not criticism of the new appointees. No source takes a stance for or against the government's choice. The absence of any editorial stance means the only notable difference is Hindustan Times including the detail that Yatindra Mishra is from Ayodhya's erstwhile royal family. The reconstitution ends nine years without a full board, with the chairperson unchanged. ## Coverage - news.abplive.com (neutral report) Straight list of new members with no editorial comment - economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Factual notification report, no slant on appointments - hindustantimes.com (neutral report) Straight announcement with official quote, no editorialising - hindustantimes.com (neutral report) Straight announcement with official quote, no editorialising Tags: CBFC, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Pankaj Tripathi, Preity Zinta, Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Suniel Shetty Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/centre-appoints-preity-zinta-suniel-shetty-to-new-cbfc-panel/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/centre-appoints-preity-zinta-suniel-shetty-to-new-cbfc-panel/#story-in-brief