Author: Mihika Samant
The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023 amends the Cinematograph Act,1952 and comes as a revision to the version which was withdrawn from the Indian parliament on July 20, 2023. The 1952 Act led to the establishment of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and set guidelines for film certification and exhibition within the country, aiming to ensure the age-suitability of film content and adherence to copyright laws.
The bill introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2019 focused on amendments to include provisions against piracy to this Act. However, it was withdrawn taking into account the Standing Committee’s observation that the Act required a more comprehensive update than the one proposed. This amendment addresses the concerns raised by the committee and includes significant revisions that aim to ‘contemporise’ the certification process. In this regard, it proposes changes to more comprehensively address two key concerns – film certification categories and film piracy.
The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill introduces new certificate categories and restrictions based on the age-appropriateness of content in films. Under the previous law, films were certified for exhibition as ‘U’ (without restriction), ‘UA’ (with guidance of parents for children below 12), ‘A’ (only for adults), or ‘S’ (only for specific groups). The amendment divides the ‘UA’ category and replaces it with three age-specific categories: ‘UA 7+’ for those above 7 years, ‘UA 13+’ for those above 13 years, and ‘UA 16+’ for those above 16 years. The Bill states that the age endorsements under the UA category are not enforceable measures but have been introduced to act as points of guidance for parents and guardians to make informed decisions about whether the content is suitable for their children based on their maturity and sensitivities.
Certificate Categories as per Cinematograph Act, 1952 |
Changes to Certificate Categories as per Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023 |
U – without restriction |
Remains the same |
UA – with guidance of parents for children below 12 |
UA 7+ – for those above 7 years |
UA 13+ – for those above 13 years |
|
UA 16+ – for those above 16 years |
|
A – only for adultsTelevision screening disallowed |
Categorisation remains the sameTelevision screening allowed under separate certification |
S – only for specific groupsTelevision screening disallowed |
Remains the sameTelevision screening allowed under separate certification |