Anti-drug warning mandatory for film scenes depicting consumption, trafficking
· Entertainment · Times of India, The Hindu
New Delhi: The broadcast ministry notified on Wednesday that film scenes depicting drug consumption or trafficking must carry the anti-drug warning "Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs" on screen. The amendment to the Cinematograph Act applies to theatrical releases, OTT platforms, and private satellite television channels. This replaces the earlier CBFC guideline that only prohibited content encouraging or glamorising drug addiction without mandating a visible warning. The film certification guidelines were last amended in May 2025, introducing three age-based parental guidance categories — U/A 7+, U/A 13+ and U/A 16+. In addition to drug warnings, the updated guidelines also regulate depictions of violence, cruelty, and sexual content. The Centre also reconstituted the CBFC on Wednesday, appointing actors Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty, Pallavi Joshi, and Prosenjit Chatterjee, filmmaker Priyadarshan, and Grammy-winning musician
Why it matters
Filmmakers and streaming platforms must now visibly display the specified anti-drug warning during any scene showing consumption or trafficking, shifting CBFC oversight from content prohibition to on-screen compliance. CBFC members and OTT/satellite broadcasters are directly affected by the new mandatory labeling requirement.
Read the original report — Times of India
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