India’s film certification landscape is undergoing a major shift. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting notified revised guidelines for the Central Board of Film Certification on September 16, 2026, replacing a framework that had been in place since December 1991. The updated rules introduce a mandatory anti-drug warning for scenes involving narcotics, reiterate restrictions on violence and sensitive subjects, and specifically bar content that promotes “communal, obscurantist, anti-scientific or anti-national attitudes.” The changes have sparked a strong reaction online, with users questioning the board’s role and accusing it of functioning as a censorship body rather than a certification authority.
What the New CBFC Guidelines Say
The revised framework was issued under Section 5B(2) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, and supersedes the December 6, 1991 notification. The guidelines state that the objective of certification is to ensure films remain responsible and sensitive to the values and standards of society, while artistic expression and creative freedom are not unduly curbed.
One of the most notable additions is a mandatory statutory warning for any film depicting the consumption, use, or trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances. Such scenes must now carry the on-screen message: “Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs.” Previously, the CBFC was only required to ensure that scenes did not encourage, justify, or glamorise drug addiction, but no specific warning was mandated.
The guidelines also direct the board to ensure that violence is neither glorified nor justified. Films cannot show the modus operandi of criminals in a manner that could facilitate or encourage offences. Scenes showing children as victims or perpetrators of violence, or subjected to any form of child abuse, are prohibited. Needless depictions of cruelty to animals and the abuse or ridicule of persons with physical or mental disabilities are also barred.
On sexual content, the framework states that scenes degrading or denigrating women should not be presented. Scenes involving rpe, attempted rpe, or molestation should be avoided, and where such incidents are integral to the theme, they must be reduced to the minimum without showing unnecessary details.
Films can be certified under six categories: U, UA, UA 7+, UA 13+, UA 16+, or A. The UA categories allow younger audiences to watch with parental guidance at the specified age levels, while the A certificate is reserved for adult audiences only.
Anti-National Content and Foreign Relations Clause
A provision that has drawn particular attention states that “visuals or words promoting communal, obscurantist, anti-scientific or anti-national attitudes should not be presented.” The guidelines further state that films should not “strain India’s friendly relations with foreign states.”
This provision has already become relevant in a recent certification case. Salman Khan‘s war drama Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace, earlier titled Galwan Attack, is based on the 2020 India-China military clash. The film has reportedly faced delays in obtaining CBFC certification over its depiction of China-related content. The delay comes at a time when India and China have been working towards improving bilateral relations.
A source close to the development told SCREEN, as reported by The Indian Express: “Since the mention of the Battle of Galwan has ruffled many feathers, the aim is now to avoid any more such controversy. So, there’s no direct mention of China. It’s like how Pakistan was referred to as ‘padosi mulk’ back when relations between the two neighbouring nations were looking up.”
CBFC Reconstituted with New 18-Member Board
The revised guidelines were notified alongside the Centre’s reconstitution of the CBFC after nine years. The new 18-member board is chaired by Shashi Shekhar Vempati, who was appointed CBFC chairperson in May 2026, succeeding Prasoon Joshi following his appointment as Prasar Bharati chairperson.
The board includes actors Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty, Pallavi Joshi, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Manoj Joshi, Rupali Ganguly, and Nishigandha Wad. Filmmaker Priyadarshan, Grammy-winning musician Ricky Kej, filmmaker Neela Madhab Panda, singer and former parliamentarian Hans Raj Hans, producer Supriya Yarlagadda, poet Yatindra Mishra, theatre director Waman Kendre, and writer Ramesh Patange are also part of the panel. The board has been constituted for a three-year term or until further government orders, whichever is earlier.
Vempati took to X to highlight the age-based markers, writing: “Film makers need to highlight these markers in promotional material so that these are clearly understood by the audiences before exposing children to a film.”
Internet Reacts to the New Rules
The revised guidelines have triggered a wave of criticism on X, with users questioning how the new provisions will be implemented and whether they will be applied consistently across films.
One user criticised the CBFC’s role altogether, writing: “CBFC is a censor board, not a certification board like it’s name claims to be. It needs to be scrapped. Also, documentary makers should just release the uncensored versions on platforms that the indian govt cannot control or send takedown notices to.”
Another questioned whether the rules would be applied equally, saying: “They won’t follow this for propaganda movies. This is only for the movies they don’t want ppl to see. Indian cinema is as good as dead.”
Concerns about selective implementation also came up, with one user commenting: “Going to be followed very selectively and with extreme bias. Not going to add to this.”
A fourth user took a broader view of the changes, writing: “Actually, calling them guidelines seems insincere; edicts would be a better word. Call yourself the Central Board of Film Censorship.”
One more user pointed to the distinction between certification and censorship, writing: “Somebody tell the govt we had discarded the censor board in 1983 and the only objective of CBFC is supposed to be certifying films based on its content and not to censor scenes. We have courts to decide for the latter.”
Another user said: “Ideally conscientious artists in the country should respond unkindly to this. A protest, an open letter. Something. Because what is even this.”
The Telegraph India reported that the new guidelines have been described as “embarrassing” by critics, with cries of censorship erupting across social media platforms.
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Drug Warning Follows OTT and TV Advisories
The mandatory anti-drug warning for films follows similar directives issued to OTT platforms and private satellite television channels. Last month, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting told streaming services to prominently display the same warning during scenes depicting the consumption or use of narcotic drugs. Private satellite television channels received a similar advisory.
The film certification guidelines were last amended in May 2025, when the government incorporated the three age-based parental guidance categories—U/A 7+, U/A 13+, and U/A 16+—into the framework. These categories were originally introduced through amendments to the Cinematograph Act in 2023 and were defined in the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024.
The new guidelines also direct the board to scrutinise film titles and reject those considered “provocative, vulgar or offensive.” This issue surfaced in a recent certification dispute involving the 2025 Malayalam film Janaki vs State of Kerala, where the CBFC reportedly objected to the title because Janaki, a name associated with Goddess Sita, was used for a character who survives sexual assault. The matter reached the Kerala High Court.
Accessibility has also become part of the certification process. From March 15, 2026, Indian films were required to include subtitles and audio descriptions to make content easier to access for viewers with hearing or visual impairments. The move did not go without criticism, with some viewers taking to social media to question the requirement, calling it a “distraction” and saying it “ruins the viewing experience.”
The revised guidelines represent the first major overhaul of the CBFC’s certification framework in nearly 35 years. The provisions on anti-national content, foreign relations, and drug warnings are now in effect for all films seeking certification for public exhibition in India.
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