Overview
- The CBFC, which issued an advisory dated October 26, 2026, now requires filmmakers to submit only final, complete film prints for certification and will treat incomplete submissions as non-compliant.
- Applications with placeholder graphics, unfinished scores, missing credits, absent subtitles or audio descriptions and other incomplete technical elements may be delayed, returned or rejected by the board.
- The board clarified that a title shown in promotions or an application is not final and can be changed by the examining or revising committee, and an announced theatrical release date will not secure faster processing.
- The date an application is approved as complete will be treated as the official receipt date, the CBFC says producers should file well ahead of planned releases, and the board will not accept responsibility for filmmakers' self-imposed schedules.
- The advisory follows the board’s reconstitution with 18 new members and cites Section 5B(1) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and Rule 25 of the 2024 Rules, a change likely to tighten release planning after past high-profile certification disputes.