Central Board of Film Certification regional office in Chandigarh soon: Anurag Thakur

New Delhi/Chandigarh, February 25

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Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday announced the setting up of a regional facilitation office of the Central Board of Film Certification in Chandigarh, with the objective of promoting ease of doing business for filmmakers of the region.

Making this announcement at the closing ceremony of the Chitra Bharati Film Festival in Chandigarh, Thakur said filmmakers of the region can get the facility of screening their films and submission of cuts/modifications without having to go to either Delhi or Mumbai to get a Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certificate.

This move will further strengthen the Punjabi film industry, he said.

“I have great faith that the films made in the Punjab region also have great potential. Therefore, the government has decided to set up a CBFC facilitation office in Chandigarh so that the process of getting certification becomes easier and the process of film completion becomes faster,” Thakur said.

The minister said in a statement, “From feature films to documentaries and short films to serials, Indian cinema today is capturing every colour of life on its canvas and making local stories global.”

It does not matter what language a film is being made in, it will always have takers as long as the content is interesting, Thakur said.

“Today, India is being viewed as a content hub and we are becoming the preferred country for both shooting and post production for international films. Parallelly, our own content is getting a lot of praise across the world,” he added.

The Union minister also spoke about the initiatives being taken by the government to make theatre more accessible for specially-abled fans.

The government has already invited comments from stakeholders to firm up a new guideline in this regard so that people with hearing and visual impairment have the opportunity to enjoy a film, like everyone else, Thakur said.

“It has been the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure equal opportunity for all citizens. It is with his express interest that the government has taken it upon itself to release a version of every film which will be suited for those who are differently-abled,” he said.

Speaking on piracy, Thakur said, “We recently made very meaningful changes in the Cinematograph Act to prevent film piracy. Today, special nodal officers are being appointed at all our CBFC centres to curb piracy.” Twelve nodal officers across the country will receive complaints against piracy and give instructions to remove pirated content on digital platforms. Action will be taken within 48 hours of receiving a complaint, the minister said.

Piracy is a big threat not only to the film industry but to the entire world,” he added.