From average 20,000 films a year, CBFC certification dipped to 8,299 in Covid year: Parliamentary panel

Film certification dipped to 8,299 films in 2020-21, the Covid-19 year, as against a high of 22,570 in the pre-pandemic year of 2018-19, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry told a Parliamentary panel.

The Covid-19 year also saw the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) prescribing modifications or cuts to 17.77 per cent of the total 8,299 films submitted for certification, the report said.

The CBFC issues about 20,000 certifications for films every year across different categories such as Indian long films, Indian short films, foreign long films and foreign short films, the ministry told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology which reviewed the functioning of the CBFC.

According to information furnished to the Committee, a total of 22,570 films were certified in 2018-19, 20,593 in 2019-20, 8,299 in 2020-21 and 12,719 in 2021-22.

In 2022-23, the CBFC had certified 18,070 films, suggesting that the film industry was on the recovery path from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Providing reasons for the decline in the number of films seeking certification from CBFC, the Ministry has stated that it was due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” the Committee said in the report tabled in Parliament during the recently concluded monsoon session.

Of the 20,593 films that received CBFC certification in 2019-20, the Board directed filmmakers to make modifications or cuts to 2,785 or 13.52 per cent films before granting them any certificate such as 'U', 'UA' or 'A', the report said.

The number of films that received the CBFC certification after adopting cuts was 1,475 or 17.77 per cent of the total 8,299 films certified by the Board in 2020-21.

In 2021-22, the CBFC asked filmmakers to carry out modifications or cuts in 1,911 films or 15.02 per cent of the 12,719 movies certified by the Board.

In 2022-23, the ministry submitted to the Committee the break-up of the films that were certified by the CBFC between April 1 and September 30, 2022.

In 2022-23, 1,056 films or 11.13 per cent out of the 9,484 movies certified till September 30, 2022, were asked to carry out modifications or cuts.