Cutting back: How the Central Board of Film Certification’s censorship panders majoritarian sensibilities
Heavy cuts in recent Malayalam film Empuraan which depicted the Gujarat riots and the denial of certification to internationally acclaimed film Santosh denote the hold of political and revisionist interventions in the CBFC
Apoorva Verma
Published on: 8 April 2025, 10:30 am
MALAYALAM FILM EMPURAAN hit the theaters this week following twenty four cuts removing 128 seconds of footage which allegedly depicted scenes similar to the Gujarat riots of 2002. The cuts came as a voluntary move by the creators following widespread outrage from right wing leaders.
In another event, Santosh, an internationally acclaimed movie directed by Sandhya Suri a British Indian director, which follows the story of murder of a dalit women, has been blocked from theatrical release in India after it failed to comply with the cuts proposed by the Central Board of Film Certification (‘CBFC’). The two events in a single time frame point towards a bigger problem of how certification of movies has become a task of appeasing majoritarian ideology rather than genuinely evaluating the content on merits. This event is just another sore display of the fact that the cultural space in India now can accord freedom of speech only when it pleases ruling ideology. This article will delve into the various aspects of censorship in Indian cinema and freedom of expression.
The role of CBFC
CBFC is a statutory body under India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It regulates the public exhibition of films according to the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and is a certification outfit under the legislation. Its job is to certify the films into categories as per Section 5(A) of the 1952 Act. It is to inform the audience regarding the maturity of the content they are going to consume. It can suggest cuts or modifications to a film, and if the filmmakers comply, they get their certificate.
The certification process follows the 1952 Act, the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, and the guidelines issued by the central government under Section 5(B) which says no film gets certified if it is against India’s sovereignty, security, public order, decency, or risks inciting offenses, defamation, or contempt of court or is likely to incite the commission of any offence.
In 1983, the body, previously known as the Central Board of Film Censors was renamed to its present name and the word “censor” was dropped. However, even after undergoing the change people largely believe that it still acts as a censor board. The CBFC can refuse certification if a film—or parts of it—clashes with Section 5B of the Act. Refusal isn’t a "ban" in the legal sense but without a certificate, a film cannot hit theaters or television legally. So, it is a de facto ban in practice.
Take Santosh for instance. The CBFC denied certification in March 2025 unless major cuts were made, effectively stalling its theatrical release unless the filmmakers cave or win a court fight. The line blurs because refusal often feels like censorship, not just classification.
