Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap was among those who expressed concern over the FCAT’s abolition

New Delhi: The film fraternity has expressed disappointment over the government’s decision to disband the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), an appellate authority that filmmakers approached to challenge decisions taken by the Central Board of Film Certification, better known as the censor board.

In an ordinance notified on April 4, the government amended the Cinematograph Act, 1952 to say that filmmakers aggrieved by the decision of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) will now have to approach high courts instead of the FCAT for redressal of their grievances. The FCAT is one of the tribunals abolished by the government through the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 2021.

A bill to abolish tribunals in which the public was not a litigant was moved by MoS finance Anurag Thakur during the Budget session of Parliament this year. Since the bill could not be passed during the session, the government issued an ordinance to bring about the changes proposed in the bill.

Among those who expressed concern over the abolition of the FCAT were filmmakers Hansal Mehta, Vishal Bhardwaj and Anurag Kashyap. Mehta, who has made films like ‘Aligarh’ and ‘Shahid’ said abolishing the tribunal and asking filmmakers to take their complaints to the HC would only delay the process of settling disputes. “Do the high courts have a lot of time to address film certification grievances? How many film producers will have the means to approach the courts?” he said on Twitter.

The legal fraternity argued that the shift would add to the courts’ already heavy burden.