Excruciating Backlog In The CBFC, Producers Desperate For Clearance

The 68-day  clearance-period  for film submitted for certification at the CBFC, has triggered  off a panic attack among producers waiting in the queue.

 According to sources in  the CBFC there are close to  200  films waiting to be certified. These include feature films in Hindi and the regional languages , teasers, trailers and songs.

Says a  source  from  the CBFC, “Gone  are  the days when  the chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani  would forcibly open the  CBFC  officeon Saturday and Sunday and drag board members out of their  homes  to view films to  avoid  any backlog . Now  we have to follow  the queue  system for  all films.Even if it means a delay in certification and release  of any film.”

Several producers waiting for censor certification  have  pressed the panic mode as their films’ release date approaches.

Says  the  CBFC  source, “There is  no question of breaking the queue as all certification  is now done online. However, the 68-day period  between  submission and  certification  is open to re-interpretation.  If you read the guidelines they say that the CBFC MAY take 68 days to  certify a film.  It doesn’t mean that this period  is mandatory to  certification.”

Sources at the  CBFC says multiple screenings were planned in the coming week to clear the backlog at the  CBFC before the Christmas and New Year holidays.However with the personnel shortage  the screenings have been put on hold.

“The releases in January are at the moment, on hold,” says a CBFCsource.