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Upala KBR (DNA; September 17, 2016)

In a landmark decision, the title of MA Pass which had been stuck with the Indian Film and TV Producers Council (IFTPC) since January, got a direct clearance from the CBFC. Now the film is all set to release in October. Till now, there was an understanding between the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) and the four film bodies, (The Film & Television Producers Guild of India Ltd, IFTPC, Indian Film and Television Producers Council and Western India Film Producers’ Association) that titles would be registered by member producers at these four bodies and if a dispute between two producers for titles takes place, it would be sorted out by them. The CBFC held no control over this and could not withhold certificates.

Says a trade source, “It’s big news for film producers as MA Pass is the first film to get its title clearance directly from the CBFC. This will pave the way for other films whose titles have got stuck.”

Producer Narendra Singh says, “I had applied for my title in January but my film was stuck as another producer had registered and made a film under the same title. After eight months of running around, I finally got my title (and censor certificate) cleared by the CBFC. This is good news for new producers who don’t know the system and register first through their film bodies. The system has been streamlined and we can stop being tortured by these film associations. Yes, there’s a loophole that another producer can complete and release his film too before another having the same name so a system has to be made. For now, it’s a great relief for me and other people who have been harassed by the producers associations. You can get your film title and poster cleared directly by the CBFC.”