Cinematograph Act: Govt may drop provisions on re-examination of films

The government may drop the controversial provision from the proposed Cinematograph Act Bill, 2021, that would have granted the Centre the ability to ask the Central Board of Film Certification to re-examine a film, officials familiar with the matter said on Sunday The Bill is slated to be sent for Cabinet approval before being introduced in Parliament. “The Central Government in respect of a film certified for public exhibition, on account of violation of Section 5B of the Act, the Central Government may, if it considers it necessary so to do, direct the Chairman of the Board to re-examine the film,” the government had said in a release on. Therefore, if a complaint is received regarding violation of Section 5B, the central government may refer the matter to CBFC for re-examination of the film,” the note states, people familiar with the matter said. “At present, there are no enabling provisions to check film piracy in the Cinematograph Act, 1952 making it necessary to have a provision in the Act to check film piracy,” the government’s release stated.