Overview
- The Central Board of Film Certification warned this week that public exhibition of an uncertified film violates the 1952 Cinematograph Act unless the Union grants a specific exemption, and that warning was cited when institutions halted planned screenings.
- IIIT‑Hyderabad cancelled a student‑proposed screening after the board publicly flagged the event and the institute said the showing was unauthorised; NLSIU’s LawSoc also dropped its programme following consultations with administration, faculty and the Student Bar Association.
- Two private Mumbai screenings were called off after organisers say plainclothes police questioned venue managers, a manager received a call from someone claiming to be a senior officer and a police vehicle arrived, and organisers have lodged complaints with police and rights bodies.
- The student group ABVP objected to campus screenings, argued the film could challenge national sovereignty, and pressed authorities and the CBFC to block events while some campuses pivoted to donor discussions and legal panels instead of film showings.
- The controversy centres on a documentary about Umar Khalid, who has been held under the UAPA since 2020, and critics say the ministry’s recent CBFC guidance that flags ‘anti‑national attitudes’ broadens grounds for prior restraint and tightens control over political speech.