Central Board of Film Certification

This article is about the Indian film classification board. For the Pakistani counterpart, see Central Board of Film Censors. For other uses, see CBFC.

Central Board of Film Certification

CBFC
Film Certification Body overview
Jurisdiction	India
Headquarters	Mumbai, Maharashtra
Film Certification Body executive	Prasoon Joshi, Chairperson
Parent Film Certification Body	Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Key document	Cinematograph Act, 1952
Website	cbfcindia.gov.in

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory film-certification body in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India. It is tasked with "regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952." ^[1] The Cinematograph Act 1952 outlines a strict certification process for commercial films shown in public venues. Films screened in cinemas and on television may only be publicly exhibited in India after certification by the board and edited. ^[2]

Certificates and guidelines

Film-certificate categories

The board currently issues four certificates. Originally, there were two: U (unrestricted public exhibition with family-friendly movies) and A (restricted to adult audiences but any kind of nudity not allowed). Two more were added in June 1983 that are U/A (unrestricted public exhibition, with parental guidance for children under 12) and S (restricted to specialised audiences, such as doctors or scientists). ^[3] The board may refuse to certify a film. ^[4] Additionally, V/U, V/UA, V/A are used for video films with U, U/A and A carrying the same meaning as above. ^[5] Variations of the U/A certificate were introduced in November 2024: U/A 7+, U/A 13+ and U/A 16+. ^[6]

U certificate

Films with the U certification are fit for unrestricted public exhibition and are family-friendly. These films can contain universal themes like education, family, drama, romance, sci-fi, action etc. These films can also contain some mild violence, but it cannot be prolonged. It may also contain very mild sexual scenes (without any traces of nudity or sexual detail).

U/A certificate

Films with the U/A certification can contain moderate adult themes that are not strong in nature and are not considered appropriate to be watched by a child without parental guidance. These films may contain moderate to strong violence, moderate sexual scenes (traces of nudity and moderate sexual detail can be found), frightening scenes, blood flow, or muted abusive language. Sometimes such films are re-certified with V/U for video viewing. The age threshold was previously set at 12 years of age, but in 2024 this was further refined to 7, 13 and 16 years of age. ^[7]

• UA 7+ – Unrestricted public exhibition, but with parental guidance for children below the age of 7 years and appropriate above the age of seven.
• UA 13+ – Unrestricted public exhibition, but with parental guidance for children below the age of 13 years.
• UA 16+ – Unrestricted public exhibition, but with parental guidance for children below the age of 16 years.

A certificate

Films with the A certification are available for public exhibition only for adults. These films can contain strong violence, explicit and strong sexual scenes, abusive language, but words which insult or degrade women or any social group. ^{[8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]} are not allowed. Controversial, adult or suggestive themes are considered unsuitable for young viewers. Such films are often re-certified with V/U and V/UA for TV, which does not happen in the case of U and U/A certified movies. ^[15]

S certificate

Films with S certification cannot be viewed by the public. Only people associated with it (doctors, scientists, etc.) are permitted to view these films. ^[15]

History

The Indian Cinematograph Act came into effect in 1920 ^[16] , seven years after the production of India's first film: Dadasaheb Phalke's Raja Harishchandra . Censorship boards were originally independent bodies under the police chiefs of the cities of Madras (now Chennai), Bombay (now Mumbai), Calcutta (now Kolkata), Lahore (now in Pakistan), and Rangoon (now Yangon in Myanmar) it was amended again on 1 August 2023 with the introduction of Cinematography Amendment Bill. The bill awaits presidential assent.

After the 1947 independence of India, autonomous regional censors were absorbed into the Bombay Board of Film Censors. The Cinematograph Act of 1952 reorganised the Bombay board into the Central Board of Film Censors. ^[17] With the 1983 revision of cinematography rules, the body was renamed the Central Board of Film Certification. ^[18]

In 2021 the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) was scrapped by the Indian government. ^{[19] [20]}

Principles

The board's guiding principles are to ensure healthy public entertainment and education and, using modern technology, to make the certification process and board activities transparent to filmmakers, the media and the public also every video have to undergo CBFC certification for telecasting or distributing over any platform in India and suggestible same standards for anywhere in the world. ^[21]

Refusal to certify

In addition to the certifications above, there is also the possibility of the board refusing to certify the film at all.

The board's guidelines are:

• Anti-social activities (such as violence) may not be glorified.
• Any Controversial topics
• Criminal acts may not be depicted.
• The following is prohibited:
  • a) Involvement of children in violent acts or abuse.
  • b) Abuse or ridicule of the physically or mentally handicapped.
  • c) Unnecessary depictions of cruelty to animals.
• Gratuitous violence, cruelty, or horror.
• No scenes encouraging alcohol consumption, drug addiction or smoking.
• No vulgarity, obscenity, depravity or double entendres.
• No scenes degrading women (despite many sexist movies being certified), including sexual violence (as much as possible).
• No denigration by race, religion or other social group.
• No promotion of sectarian, obscurantist, anti-scientific and anti-national attitudes.
• Relations with foreign countries should not be affected.
• No national symbols or emblems, except in accordance with the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 (12 of 1950). ^[22]

Enforcement

Since 2004, censorship has been rigorously enforced. An incident was reported in which exhibitor staff – a clerk who sold the ticket, the usher, a theatre manager and the partners of the theatre complex – were arrested for non-compliance with certification rules for allowing minors to watch the Tamil language film 7/G Rainbow Colony which received A rating after certification. ^[23]

References

1. "Welcome to CBFC". cbfcindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
2. "CBFC urges Manipur government to enforce Cinematograph Act 1952". 24 June 2025. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
3. Jhinuk Sen (15 June 2011). "UA, S, X, R demystified: How films are rated". News18 . Network18 Group. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019.
4. Jha, Lata; Ahluwalia, Harveen (17 March 2017). "Censor board denied certification to 77 films in 2015–16". Livemint. Archived from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
5. "Certification". cbfcindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
6. "UA 7+, 13+, 16+: Censor Board introduces new film certification categories". DT Next . 15 November 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
7. "Cinematograph (Amendment) Act 2023" (PDF). India: Ministry of Law and Justice. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 August 2024.
8. "CBFC at it again: Malayalam film asked to cut out nudity and mute Kazhuveriyude Mone". thenewsminute. 20 June 2016. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
9. "Nudity, the final frontier for films in India". livemint. 28 January 2014. Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
10. Child, Ben (5 March 2015). "Fifty Shades of Grey banned in India despite removal of nudity". theguadian.com.
11. "Censor Board bans Unfreedom, says film will 'ignite unnatural passions'". The News Minute. 31 March 2015.
12. "CBFC bans computer-generated nudity". Dna India. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
13. "CBFC reportedly bans film titled X Zone due to graphic love making scenes, nudity". Firstspot. 10 September 2017.
14. "Sanskari CBFC Bans Nudity on Robots & Blurs Alcohol Bottles From Blade Runner 2049 But Allows Swear Words". India.com. 3 October 2017. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
15. "About Us". Indian Board of Film Certification. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
16. "How films get Censor Board approval in India:From 68-Day process to court battles, the complete story behind 'Udta Punjab' controversy and CBFC's limited powers". 16 February 2025. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
17. "The Cinematograph Act, 1952 and Rules | Ministry of Information and Broadcasting | Government of India". www.mib.gov.in. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
18. "Background". CBFC Website. Central Board of Film Certification. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
19. Ramachandran, Naman (7 April 2021). "Indian Government Quietly Scraps Censorship Appeals Body". Variety. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
20. "With Abolition of Film Certificate Tribunal, Bad Days for Filmmakers Will Become Worse". The Wire. Archived from the original on 8 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
21. "Vision & Mission". Central Board of Film Certification. Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
22. "Guidelines". Indian Board of Film Certification. Archived from the original on 9 August 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
23. "Minors caught watching "7-GRainbow Colony"". Sify . Archived from the original on 3 September 2017.

External links

• Official website