I&B Ministry
States may decide Pak artistes films fate
NEW DELHI: The Central Government will not intervene in cases involving protests about Pakistani actors working in Indian films if the film had been certified by the Central Board of Film Certification.
Even as the controversy over Shah Rukh Khan having met a local part chief in connection with his upcoming film ‘Raees’ starring Pakistani actress Mahira Khan rages, the information and broadcasting ministry (MIB) sources told indiantelevision.com that this was more of a law and order problem which fell into the realm of the state governments.
In October this year, the Film & Television Producers Guild of India Ltd had expressed “genuine concern for all those film producers who invested heavily in films featuring artistes from across the border.”
Even as it expressed unflinching support to the Central Government and its solidarity with the Indian armed forces on their supreme sacrifice at Uri (Jammu and Kashmir) and courage and valor displayed during the recent counter-terrorism operations, it noted there had been some discourse in the media recently with regard to certain threats to disrupt the release of these movies.
The Guild, which represents most of the active Hindi film producers, there are many film producers who had either already shot their films or were in the process of completing their unfinished films prior to the escalation of hostilities with Pakistan. These included Karan Johar (‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ with Fawad Khan and ‘Dear Zindagi’ with Ali Zafar) which had also been certified by the CBFC and released.
Pakistani actor Fawad Khan was also seen in ‘Kapoor and Sons’, and earlier in ‘Khoobsoorat’ opposite Sonam Kapoor.
Meanwhile, the sources said no permission had been granted to any Pakistani TV or radio channel to broadcast in India.
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I&B Ministry
CBFC speeds up film certification; average approval time cut to 22 days
Over 71,900 films cleared in five years as digital system shortens approval timelines
MUMBAI: The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has significantly reduced the time taken to certify films, with the average approval timeline now down to 22 working days for feature films and just three days for short films.
Operating under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the statutory body certifies films for public exhibition in line with the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024. The rules prescribe a maximum certification period of 48 working days, though the adoption of the Online Certification System has sharply accelerated the process.
Over the past five years, from 2020-21 to 2024-25, the board certified a total of 71,963 films across formats. Of these, the majority fell under the U category with 41,817 titles, followed by UA with 28,268 films and A with 1,878 films. No films were certified under the S category during the period.
Film approvals have also steadily risen in recent years. The CBFC cleared 8,299 films in 2020-21, a figure that peaked at 18,070 in 2022-23 before settling at 15,444 films in 2024-25. During the same period, 11,064 films were certified with cuts or modifications.
Despite the high volume of certifications, outright refusals remain rare. Only three films were denied certification over the last five years, with one refusal recorded in 2022-23 and two in 2024-25.
The board may recommend cuts or modifications if a film violates statutory parameters relating to the sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, defamation, contempt of court or incitement to an offence.
Filmmakers can challenge CBFC decisions in court. Data shows that such disputes remain limited but have seen some fluctuation. Between 2021 and 2025, a total of 21 certification decisions were challenged before High Courts, with the number rising to 10 cases in 2025.
Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, minister of state for information and broadcasting L. Murugan shared the data. The question was raised by Mallikarjun Kharge.
With faster timelines and a largely digital workflow, the certification process appears to be moving at a far brisker pace, signalling a shift towards quicker clearances for India’s growing film output.
