Bombay HC directs censor board on certificates for subtitles
The film body alleged that CBFC move is to harass producers and extort more money.
Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday directed the Central Film Certification Board (CBFC) to file its reply within two weeks in a petition filed by the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA), challenging the censor board’s direction to submit subtitles of a movie for censorship. IMPAA approached the high court, claiming that the new rule introduced by the CBFC was allegedly arbitrary. The petition has sought the high court to quash this procedure.
According to petition filed by IMPPA, on April 27, the petitioner association received a notice from the CBFC, which said the producers of a film are required to obtain a s-
eparate censorship certificate for the film’s sub-titles. “As per the notice, the producers have to first obtain certificate for the movie and thereafter when sub-titling is done by any producer in a different languages like Marathi, English, Gujarati and Tamil they are also required to obtain fresh censorship from the CBFC,” the petition said.
According to the petition, earlier certification was required only for the movie from the CBFC and there was no requirement or practice of certification for the subtitles.
CBFC lawyer Advait Sethna on Friday told the court that the direction to seek separate certification for subtitles was to ensure that producers do not add or alter the same after getting censorship certificate for the movie.
A division bench, headed by Justice R. M. Borde directed Sethna to file an affidavit responding to the petition within two weeks.
Counsel Ashok Sarogi told the court films’ releases are being delayed.