India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has notified a revised set of film certification guidelines for the Central Board of Film Certification, replacing a framework that had been in place since December 1991. The new rules, issued on September 16, 2026, introduce a mandatory anti-drug warning for scenes involving narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, while retaining most existing provisions on violence, sexual content and content affecting national security. The changes arrive alongside a major overhaul of the CBFC itself, with the government appointing an 18-member board to oversee film certification for a three-year term.
What Exactly Changed in the New Rules
Most of the 1991 framework has been carried forward. The single substantive addition concerns the portrayal of drugs. Under the revised guidelines, any film depicting or involving the consumption, use or trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances must display a statutory warning on screen. The exact text reads:
“Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs.”
The old rules required the CBFC to ensure that scenes tending to “encourage, justify or glamorise drug addiction” were not shown, but they did not prescribe any specific on-screen warning. The new requirement extends a similar advisory that was issued to OTT platforms and private satellite television channels in the weeks before the notification.
The second notable update formalises the age-based UA markers that were introduced through the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, and later incorporated into the guidelines in May 2025. The three categories are UA 7+, UA 13+ and UA 16+, advising parental guidance for children below seven, 13 and 16 years respectively. CBFC Chairperson Shashi Shekhar Vempati specifically highlighted these markers in a post on X, writing that filmmakers need to highlight them in promotional material “so that these are clearly understood by the audiences before exposing children to a film.”
Violence, Crime and Criminal Methods
The revised framework continues to bar the glorification or justification of violence and anti-social activities. Films are expected to avoid depicting the modus operandi of criminals in a manner that could encourage viewers to commit offences. Needless, excessive or entertainment-driven scenes of violence, cruelty and horror should be avoided, particularly when such content could desensitise or dehumanise audiences.
Special attention is given to the portrayal of children. The guidelines state that children should not be needlessly shown as victims, perpetrators or forced witnesses of violence, nor should they be subjected to any form of child abuse on screen. Unnecessary cruelty to animals and the abuse or ridicule of persons with physical or mental disabilities are also discouraged.
Sexual Violence and Depiction of Women
Provisions concerning sexual violence and the treatment of women remain largely unchanged. Scenes involving rpe, attempted rpe or molestation should be avoided, and where such incidents are essential to the story, they must be reduced to the minimum with no graphic detail. Content that degrades or denigrates women in any manner is not to be presented. The guidelines also retain restrictions on vulgarity, obscenity, depravity and double-meaning language considered to appeal to baser instincts.
Religion, National Security and Foreign Relations
Films should not contain visuals or words contemptuous of racial, religious or other groups, nor should they promote communal, obscurantist, anti-scientific or anti-national attitudes. The guidelines state that content should not call into question India’s sovereignty and integrity, endanger the security of the State or public order, or strain friendly relations with foreign countries. These provisions have drawn particular attention in the context of Salman Khan‘s upcoming war drama Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace, earlier titled Galwan Attack, which is based on the 2020 India-China military clash and has reportedly faced delays in obtaining certification over its China-related content.
A New 18-Member Board Takes Charge
The revised guidelines were notified days after the government reconstituted the CBFC, ending a period of more than six years during which the previous panel’s three-year tenure had expired. The new 18-member board includes actors Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty, Pallavi Joshi, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Roopali Ganguly, Manoj Joshi and Hansraj Hans, along with filmmaker Priyadarshan and Grammy-winning musician Ricky Kej. The board is headed by Chairperson Shashi Shekhar Vempati and has been constituted for three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The previous full board reconstitution took place in 2017.
Filmmakers and Audiences React
The new guidelines have drawn a mixed response from the film industry and a largely critical one on social media. Director Raja Krishna Menon told Hindustan Times that while he is against any form of censorship, cinema has a significant influence on society and filmmakers should be mindful of their responsibility. “Portraying society as one sees it, with all its beauty and its ills, and using cinema to initiate conversations around subjects, especially those that are considered taboo, is just as important as being mindful not to celebrate or excuse certain behaviours or acts,” he said.
New CBFC member and actor Manoj Joshi struck a balancing note, saying there should be a balance between creative liberty and its impact on society. Director Milan Luthria questioned how the violence provisions would be implemented in practice. “What is too much for you may be okay for me, so it’s difficult to say how much is too much,” he said. Filmmaker Onir called the changes worrisome, asking how “anti-national” would be defined in practice and whether questioning the government or religion would fall under that term.
Social media users were more direct in their criticism. One user wrote on X that the CBFC is a censor board rather than a certification board, arguing that documentary makers should release uncensored versions on platforms beyond government control. Another user questioned whether the rules would be applied uniformly, writing, “They won’t follow this for propaganda movies. This is only for the movies they don’t want people to see.” Concerns about selective implementation were echoed by others, with one user stating, “Going to be followed very selectively and with extreme bias.”
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What the Board Has Been Asked to Consider
The guidelines direct the CBFC to judge a film in its entirety and assess its overall impact rather than viewing isolated scenes independently. The Board must also consider the period depicted in the film and the standards of the country and the people to which the film relates, while ensuring that the film does not deprave the morality of the audience. For unrestricted public exhibition, the Board is asked to ensure that the film is suitable for family viewing, meaning the whole family, including children, should be able to watch it together. Films that meet the broader certification criteria but are considered unsuitable for non-adults may be certified for adult audiences.
Also Read: Preity Zinta, Suniel Shetty, Pankaj Tripathi and More Become Members of CBFC
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