Understanding the Censor Certificate and the India Central Board of Film Certification

In you are new to Bollywood, you've probably noticed something unique when a film opens. At the beginning of every Bollywood film - before the titles, before the sponsors - you will see a certificate.

This is a "Censor Certificate" provided by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and reflects a film ratings system similar to that of the Motion Picture Association of America. 

In India, the CBFC was set up regulate the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952. The CBFC is composed of actors, writers, composers, scholars, industrialists, and politicians. CBFC offices are located in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Cuttack and Guwahati. 

The mission of the CBFC is:

1. To ensure healthy entertainment, recreation and education to the public.
2. To make the certification process transparent and responsible.
3. To create awareness among advisory panel members, media and film makers about the guidelines for certification and current trend in films through workshops and meetings.
4. To adopt modern technology for certification process through computerization of certification process and upgrades of infrastructure.
5. To maintain transparency about Board’s activities through voluntary disclosures, implementation of e-governance, prompt replies to right to information queries and publication of annual report.
6. To develop CBFC as a Centre of Excellence

According to the CBFC:

India has the largest film industry in the world, making over 1250 feature films and larger number of short films every year. At a rough estimate, a total of about 15 million people see films in India every day, either at its over 13,000 cinema houses or on the video cassette recorder or on the cable system. Thus, every two months, an audience as large as India ’s entire population flocks to its cinema houses.

 

There is huge investment in films and lakhs of people earn their livelihood from it. With such a large enterprise, it is natural that film-makers have to do their utmost to make the product which will fetch the best returns. In doing this, they also have to keep in mind the growing competition from television, video, cable and now satellite. Naturally, therefore, the film-makers are apt at times to go slightly overboard in their enthusiasm in what they show, which may appeal to some, but may be unacceptable to a large section of people.

 

India has a free press and the same freedom applies to cinema, which is free enterprise and outside the control of Government except the Films Division and the Doordarshan, which are aimed at educating and informing the public, while entertaining them. The press in India is free of any control when compared to other countries of the world, and the same applies to cinema.

While the media in our country are free, it is considered necessary in the general interest to examine the product when it goes out for public consumption. While there is no certification of published material, need was felt to have certification for films because of the effect that the audio-visual medium can have on the people which can be far stronger than the influence of the printed word, particularly on the impressionable minds of the children.

 

Film certification is thus the end product of the process of previewing of film and it includes a decision either not to allow a particular film or public viewing or to allow it for public viewing with certain deletions and / or modifications or at least proper categorization of the films. Furthermore, it is to ensure that the children do not get exposed to psychologically damaging matter.

 

The Supreme Court in a judgment in 1989 said that film certification becomes necessary because a film motivates thought and action and assures a high degree of attention and retention as compared to the printed words. The combination of act and speech, sight and sound in semi-darkness of the theatre with elimination of all distracting ideas will have a strong impact on the minds of the viewers and can affect emotions. Therefore, it has as much potential for evil as it has for good and has an equal potential to instill or cultivate violent or good behavior. It cannot be equated with other modes of communication. Certification by prior restraint is, therefore, not only desirable but also necessary.

The  CBFC must screen every film made in India before it is made public and no film can be shown without receiving a certificate. Ratings are assigned:

• Unrestricted (U). Similar to a G rating, these are films suitable for all age groups. These films may contain educational, social or family-oriented themes. Films under this category may also contain fantasy violence,very mild sex scenes and/or mild bad language.

• Unrestricted with Parental Guidance (UA). Similar to a PG rating. In India it is advised that children below 12 be accompanied by a parent though all ages are admitted. Generally the theme or content is be considered inappropriate or too intense for younger children. Films under this category may contain mature themes, sexual references, mild sex scenes, violence with brief gory images and/or infrequent use of crude language.

• Restricted to Adults (A). Similar to an R rating. These films are restricted to adult audiences 18 years or older. Nobody below the age of 18 may buy/rent an A-rated disc, videotape, or watch a film in the cinema with this rating. Films in this category may contain adult themes, disturbing scenes, frequent crude language, brutal violence with blood and gore, strong sex scenes and/or scenes of drug abuse considered unsuitable for minors.

• Restricted to a Special Class (S). This rating means the film is designed for a specialised audience, such as doctors.

The CBFC can refuse public exhibition of a film and often uses this power to order the removal of scenes deemed offensive.

The design and elements of a censor certificate have changed over the years:

Dharmaputra (1971) - Unrestricted

Bombay to Goa (1982) - Unrestricted

 

Darr (1993) - Unrestricted with Parental Guidance

 

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) - Unrestricted

 

Veer-Zaara (2004) - Unrestricted

 

Race 2 (2013) - Unrestricted with Parental Guidance

 

Find out more:

• Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)
• Wikipedia: Central Board of Film Certification
• India Ink: An Insider's View of the Film Censor Board