CBFC Objects to Uncertified Documentary Screening at IIIT-Hyderabad
· India · Times of India, Indian Express
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has formally objected to a planned screening of the documentary "Prisoner No. 626710 is Present" at IIIT-Hyderabad. The board stated that screening an uncertified film violates the Cinematograph Act unless a specific exemption is granted. While the documentary, directed by Lalit Vachani, focuses on the incarceration of activist Umar Khalid, IIIT-Hyderabad has distanced itself from the event, clarifying that no recognised student body or the institute itself organised the screening. Following the CBFC's intervention, sources indicate that students have decided to cancel the event. This development follows a similar postponement of the film's screening at the National Law School of India University in Bengaluru earlier this month.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the regulatory hurdles faced by student groups attempting to screen politically sensitive content without formal certification, highlighting the tension between academic freedom and statutory film regulations.
Read the original report — Times of India
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