New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- After the Centre reconstituted the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with a new 18-member committee that includes film personalities, writers, musicians and several figures linked to the BJP, the film body has now rolled out a revised framework for film certification in India, replacing the 1991 guidelines.

In the new framework, the CBFC has made it clear that violence can't be glorified and films must be restricted from showing the modus operandi of criminals or content that could incite real-world offences.

The Board has asked that pointless or avoidable scenes of violence, cruelty and horror, scenes of violence primarily intended to provide entertainment and such scenes as may have the effect of desensitising or dehumanising people are not to be shown. Also, the Board has asked not to show scenes which have the effect of justifying or glorifying drinking, glamourise drug addiction and consumption of tobacco or smoking. Depictions involving narcotic drugs/psychotropic substances must carry the prescribed anti-drug warning.

The Board also has a message for filmmakers not to show content showing children as victims, perpetrators or forced witnesses of violence or being subjected to child abuse. The film certification body also asked filmmakers to refrain from showing needless depictions of cruelty to animals and abuse or ridicule of physically or mentally disabled persons is prohibited.

As in the case of sexual content and treatment of women, content degrading or denigrating women shouldn't be shown. Sexual violence should be minimised, where essential to the story, shown without graphic detail. Sexual content described in the guidelines as 'sexual perversions' is similarly to be avoided or minimised where germane to the theme.

The Board also asked directors to refrain from content which shows contemptuous visuals or words targeting racial, religious or other groups or promote communal, obscurantist, anti-scientific or 'antinational' attitudes. Films that question India's sovereignty and integrity, endanger state security or public order or strain friendly relations with foreign countries are also barred.

The guidelines state that the Board must also examine a film 'in the light of the period depicted in the film and the contemporary standards of the country and the people to which the film relates', while ensuring that the film doesn't deprave the morality of the audience. The revised guidelines retain the previous age-based UA system.

Recently, Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty, Pallavi Joshi and Prosenjit Chatterjee and Grammy-winning musician Ricky Kej have been inducted as members of the CBFC, among others, in the new committee.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.