CBFC’s e-Cinepramaan gets a new updated version; here`s everything it has

Last week, mid-day reported that e-Cinepramaan, which is a portal under the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and allowed access to film certifications and cuts, had been down since May due to “maintenance” (CBFC cuts transparency, June 19). Now, the platform has become permanently inaccessible in its previous form.

Launched in 2017, e-Cinepramaan was the primary interface for journalists and filmmakers to access the cuts and modifications imposed by the CBFC. With the help of QR codes, users would directly be led to the relevant film’s digital certification page. The lists, while often not available on the CBFC’s main site, could be accessed on this platform. But in the latest change, the site has done away with QR codes and sealed off public access. 

This appears to be another step in making the certification process opaque. A filmmaker, whose political drama has been stuck with the CBFC for a few months, says, “For years, we’ve been trying to build a case against arbitrary cuts. The fact that journalists and activists could cross-reference changes was a quiet deterrent [to the body]. Now, that’s gone. This might seem like a small tweak, but the message it sends is clear. They don’t want us to see what’s being cut.”

According to the Cinematograph Act, 1952, the board is required to publish every film’s certificate. In an industry where conversations about censorship and creative freedom are already fraught, the latest move is seen as a rollback of the small progress made over the last decade, especially after the suggestions of the Benegal Committee. Another source says, “The changes have drastically reduced public visibility. There is no way now to track what is being chopped and why.”

We texted CBFC, which has so far not commented on why it altered the portal structure or whether it intends to offer a new searchable database in compliance with the Cinematograph Act.

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