Overview

• The CBFC removed 41 seconds from the Indian release of James Gunn’s Superman, including two kisses totaling 33 seconds deemed “overly sensual” for a U/A certificate.
• Social media users and industry figures have criticized what they describe as moral double standards after the board approved films with graphic violence while censoring consensual romance.
• Under the 1952 Cinematograph Act and Article 19(2) of the Constitution, the CBFC wields wide discretion to impose “reasonable restrictions,” a power critics say lacks clear guidelines.
• Since the 2021 abolition of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal, filmmakers must pursue expensive high-court petitions to challenge CBFC decisions, fueling calls for a streamlined appeals body.
• Despite the cuts, Warner Bros. India reported Superman’s biggest-ever DC opening weekend in the country, but the dispute has highlighted how studios often self-edit to meet CBFC demands.