New CBFC rules put anti-drug warnings on screen

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Films depicting drug use or trafficking to carry mandatory warning under revised certification framework

Chandigarh, September 22

Films depicting the consumption, use or trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances will now be required to carry an anti-drug warning under the revised Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) guidelines issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on September 18.

The revised guidelines replace the earlier framework issued in 1991 and set out the certification principles to be followed for films intended for public exhibition. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has listed the revised guidelines as an official document under its Acts, Policies and Guidelines.

Age markers remain part of certification

The latest change comes alongside the government’s continuing emphasis on age-based information for audiences. The Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024 introduced U/A age markers of U/A 7+, U/A 13+ and U/A 16+, allowing parents and viewers to make a more informed assessment of content before watching a film.

The revised framework does not create a new film-certification body. The CBFC remains the statutory authority responsible for certifying films for public exhibition under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and the applicable certification rules.

New board brings familiar industry names

The government has also recently reconstituted the CBFC with an 18-member board for three years or until further orders. The new board includes actors Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi and Suniel Shetty, filmmaker Priyadarshan, musician Ricky Kej, actor-producer Pallavi Joshi and other personalities from cinema, music, theatre and the wider creative sector. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the reconstitution on September 16.

The 18-member board comprises Vinod Anupam, Manoj Joshi, Abhishek Jain, Ricky Kej, Priyadarshan, Suniel Shetty, Hansraj Hans, Supriya Yarlagadda, Yatindra Mishra, Roopali Ganguly, Preity Zinta, Neela Madhab Panda, Pankaj Tripathi, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Pallavi Joshi, Nishigandha Wad, Waman Kendre and Ramesh Patange.

What changes for filmmakers and audiences

For filmmakers, the revised guidelines form part of the certification process that a film undergoes before public exhibition. For audiences, the most visible changes include the age markers attached to U/A-certified films and the anti-drug warning requirement for relevant content.

The government has described the latest anti-drug provision as one of the substantive changes to the certification guidelines since 1991, alongside the introduction of the U/A age markers in 2024.

The reconstituted board, meanwhile, represents a change in the composition of the existing CBFC and not the creation of a new certification institution. It will continue to function within the statutory framework governing film certification.

The latest framework therefore brings a specific new requirement for films depicting drugs while retaining the broader certification system under which films are examined and classified before release.