64-year-old Cinematograph Act to be finally amended
2:12 PM
Mohar Basu (BOMBAY TIMES; August 14, 2016)
News from the Information
and Broadcasting Ministry suggests that in the winter session of the
Parliament, a bill suggesting ground-breaking changes in the
Cinematograph Act of 1952 will be introduced. When we reached out to the
Minister Of State for I&B, Rajyavardhan Rathore, he declined to
comment citing that it comes under classified information. However, a
source close to him admits that the details of the new bill are being
drafted. “The State Minister is personally looking into the details of
the Bill. Based on the report submitted by the Revising Panel, led by
Shyam Benegal, the bill will aim at reforming the current way of working
of the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification).“
It is said that the CBFC will now have a two-fold role. There will be a separate Monitoring Committee and Revising Committee, both of which will remain independent of each other. Every film has to separately get its clearances from each committee. Since the Act will itself undergo massive changes, there will be a new set of guidelines for the CBFC to follow.
The news comes barely a week after the CBFC annual meeting, which in the Chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani's words, 'was a regular board meeting' where they discussed the agenda followed in the past year and how successful it has been. The members assessed their performance and discussed the new plan of action to be followed in the coming year. But our sources who attended the meeting told us that the members didn't agree with Pahlaj on his censorship policies and ideas, which led to him walking out of the discussion.
When we reached out to Pahlaj, he said that the new Bill comes as welcome move. He added, “Currently, the Act gives the Board the power to suggest cuts when the content does not adhere to the guidelines. The changes will prove to be good for the industry. The new Bill which is being drafted includes suggestions that I had given long before the Benegal Committee was set up. The new grading system will be a well-chalked out one that classifies films clearly based on age and target audience. Filmmakers will now have lesser reasons to complain about the CBFC. It could take time for the Parliament to pass it, but the changes that Bollywood was promised will happen.“
It is said that the CBFC will now have a two-fold role. There will be a separate Monitoring Committee and Revising Committee, both of which will remain independent of each other. Every film has to separately get its clearances from each committee. Since the Act will itself undergo massive changes, there will be a new set of guidelines for the CBFC to follow.
The news comes barely a week after the CBFC annual meeting, which in the Chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani's words, 'was a regular board meeting' where they discussed the agenda followed in the past year and how successful it has been. The members assessed their performance and discussed the new plan of action to be followed in the coming year. But our sources who attended the meeting told us that the members didn't agree with Pahlaj on his censorship policies and ideas, which led to him walking out of the discussion.
When we reached out to Pahlaj, he said that the new Bill comes as welcome move. He added, “Currently, the Act gives the Board the power to suggest cuts when the content does not adhere to the guidelines. The changes will prove to be good for the industry. The new Bill which is being drafted includes suggestions that I had given long before the Benegal Committee was set up. The new grading system will be a well-chalked out one that classifies films clearly based on age and target audience. Filmmakers will now have lesser reasons to complain about the CBFC. It could take time for the Parliament to pass it, but the changes that Bollywood was promised will happen.“
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