We at the Times of India have always been in favour of abolishing archaic laws that hamper filmmakers' freedom of expression. And we have been championing this cause by asking for the right certification so that the film industry can go about its business without having to constantly worry about films being banned or being put through the grind of censorship.

Currently in the line of fire, the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and its new chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani continue to make headlines. There are reports that suggest that the board members are even attempting to make their own set of guidelines. In a nutshell, the rift between the filmmakers and the Board is becoming increasingly evident. Following the recommendations of Justice Mudgal Committee report, India may also shortly adapt the universally accepted method of certifying movies by age-wise classification and categorisation and thus modifying the current U/A certificate.

As per sources in the CBFC, it has been suggested to have 12+ and 15+ alongside U/A and in all probability, the Central Board of Film Certification will be renamed as Central Board of Film Classification. A new bill has been tabled in Parliament and is likely to be passed. “There is nothing like censorship now. That word is passé. While certifying, we want to categorise and classify as per content for the benefit of cinema goers. We would only like to do value addition like an expert group,“ said Shravan Kumar, CEO, CBFC.

“It will be close to the film rating system used in the United States and the world over to rate a film's suitability for certain audiences, based on its content. It gets difficult to differentiate between junior college and students at a slightly higher level. So, this move will impact those students who have just entered college. Implementing it initially may be difficult, but we will have to educate the exhibitors,“ he added.

The filmmakers have obviously welcomed the new development. Says Mohit Suri, “Actually U/A doesn't mean anything and the difference between U and A is too huge. Audience should be given the choice to watch what they want to, people are responsible. The new law is a big leap of progress.“ Says Abhinay Deo, “I personally propose this system; it is fair and square rather than randomly banning films. Let us filmmakers make the kind of films we want and the CBFC can decide what age group can watch it.“ Adds Mahesh Bhatt, “After all deliberations, we are finally taking some action. But one needs to study the fine print. What will be acceptable to the Censor Board for these age-wise 12 + and 15 + categories is still not clear.“

However, the exhibitors stand divided. Says Manoj Desai, exhibitor, “As it is, college students come and fight with us and abuse us at the gate when we don't let them in for strictly adult film, the new law with age-wise classification will further increase our problem.“ Vinay Choksi, another exhibitor, however, is positive. He says, “It is a good move. In Mumbai, only multiplexes are going by censor certificate, whereas single screens are not. They don't check. Multiplexes are very strict. So if a person is 18 but doesn't look it, he/she is not allowed unless they provide age proof. Now, they will get to watch the content they are entitled to.“