Bombay HC asks CBFC if certification rules are as per current times for kids’ films

The Bombay high court (HC) on Monday asked the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) if its parameters for certification of children’s films factor in their exposure to violence through the Internet and media, and if the board is willing to change it accordingly.

A bench of justices SC Dharmadhikari and Gautam Patel was hearing a plea by the filmmaker of a children’s film, Chidiakhana, which was given a universal/adult (U/A) rating by the CBFC. The filmmaker claimed as it was a children’s film, it should be given a universal (U) rating.

The CBFC told the HC that there were 13 violent scenes in the film, and unless they were removed, the film could not get a U rating. However, advocate Yashodeep Deshmukh, representing the filmmaker, submitted that the scenes brought out the struggle of the youngster who came to Mumbai to fulfil his dream of becoming a footballer and could not be deleted. Deshmukh said the violence portrayed was a regular sight in the city’s slums and there was nothing objectionable in the scenes.

HC then asked Deshmukh if Hollywood films such as Avengers or Spiderman, targeted at the young audience, had a U or U/A rating. Deshmukh said they were rated U/A, but the violence portrayed in these films was of a science-fiction nature and could not be compared to Chidiakhana. The bench then asked the CBFC if they had considered that children born after 2000 were exposed to influences such as mobile phones and internet. The judges asked if the board would change the parameters accordingly or continue following parameters framed for children born after 1970. The court directed CBFC to reply by August 14.