The Union Cabinet on April 19 cleared the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023 which has provisions for harsher punishments for film piracy and the introduction of new age categories for classifying films, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said.
The Bill, whose current form has not been released yet, will be introduced in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, Mr. Thakur said.
A draft version of the Bill circulated in 2021 provided for up to three years of imprisonment and ₹10 lakh penalty for those who engaged in film piracy.
It also allowed the government to order the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to re-examine films that have already been cleared for exhibition. Mr. Thakur declined to say if the version of the Bill cleared by the Cabinet included this provision, but he said that the Bill would “satisfy each and everyone without creating any controversy”.
He added that the Bill, which seeks to amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952, was finalised after public and inter-ministerial consultations.
An I&B Ministry spokesperson also declined to provide more details on the current form of the Bill until it gets introduced in Parliament.
Age ratings
Mr. Thakur said the CBFC would be able to provide more age classifications when certifying films. Only three categories currently exist for mainstream films: U for unrestricted exhibition, U/A for films that can be viewed by minors with adult supervision, and A for films that can only be viewed for adults.
The 2021 draft Bill expanded the U/A category to U/A 7+, U/A 13+ and U/A 16+. These ratings may allow filmmakers to address mature themes without attracting an A certificate. The IT Rules, 2021 already require streaming services to use these age classifications with content descriptors.
An expert committee led by filmmaker Shyam Benegal in 2017 recommended the expansion of age ratings. That expert committee also recommended that the CBFC’s powers to require cuts and modifications to films be taken away, but the government did not implement this in the 2021 draft.
