Centre reconstitutes CBFC; Preity Zinta, Suniel Shetty, Pankaj Tripathi among 18 members

The Centre has reconstituted the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), appointing an 18-member panel that includes actors Preity Zinta, Suniel Shetty, Pankaj Tripathi and Roopali Ganguly, filmmaker Priyadarshan and Grammy-winning musician Ricky Kej. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry announced the new composition of the board under the Cinematograph Act, with the appointments taking effect immediately.

Stars join board

The reconstituted CBFC brings together personalities from different sections of the entertainment and cultural industries. Besides Zinta, Shetty, Tripathi, Ganguly, Priyadarshan and Kej, the board includes actors Manoj Joshi, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Pallavi Joshi and Nishigandha Wad. Filmmakers Abhishek Jain and Nila Madhab Panda, producer Supriya Yarlagadda and singer Hans Raj Hans are also among the members. Vinod Anupam, Yatindra Mishra, Waman Kendre and Ramesh Patange complete the 18-member panel, which has five women.

Three-year tenure

The members have been appointed for three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The Centre reconstituted the board by exercising its powers under Section 3(1) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, read with the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024. The new composition gives the statutory body representation from mainstream and regional cinema as well as television, music, theatre, filmmaking and other cultural fields. The notification announcing the reconstitution does not name a new CBFC chairperson.

Certification mandate

The CBFC functions under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and is responsible for certifying films for public exhibition in India. Films are examined under the framework laid down by the Cinematograph Act and the certification rules before being cleared for public screening under the appropriate category. The reconstituted board will serve during a period when the film industry is witnessing significant changes in content, technology, distribution and audience consumption, while questions surrounding certification and creative expression continue to draw attention.