Actor Vishal raised serious allegations of corruption within the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) when he claimed that producers had to pay Rs 6.5 lakh to CBFC representatives in Mumbai to certify his film ‘Mark Antony’ for a theatrical release. Following these accusations, various parties, including India’s I&B Ministry, condemned the malpractice. The CBFC also released a statement promising to take action against those involved in corruption.
Ex-CBFC Chairman and filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani also talked about the CBFC process and how agents are causing problems. He mentioned that movies are getting delayed, and producers have to pay extra because there’s no tribunal to help them. He credited Vishal for exposing this corruption, which he believes has increased due to rising production costs.
Nihalani criticized the current CBFC Chairman, Prasoon Joshi, for not addressing these issues and delegating power to the CEO, who cannot review films. He suggested that the government should permanently remove the CEO’s power and focus solely on administrative matters.
Nihalani also mentioned that the CBFC has 9 regional offices in India and explained the certification process. He highlighted the CBFC’s directive to producers to avoid using agents or middlemen, a practice that he had stopped during his tenure.
Nihalani expressed concern over movie delays due to certification issues and pointed out that producers resort to paying middlemen due to the absence of the tribunal, their only recourse being the court. He mentioned informing the CBFC CEO about corruption within the system and cited an incident involving a demand for Rs 3 lakh for a dubbed Kannada movie.
In conclusion, Nihalani called for the current CBFC Chairman to resign gracefully in light of the corruption allegations.
