Notified under Section 3(1) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, read with Rule 3 of the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, the newly appointed 18-member panel takes effect immediately for a tenure of three years. Headed by Chairperson Shashi Shekhar Vempati, the revamped board features marquee film, television, and music personalities—headlined by actors Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, and Suniel Shetty, alongside veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan and three-time Grammy-winning composer Ricky Kej.
The 18 Appointees: The Complete Roll Call
The newly constituted board brings together a multi-regional cross-section of mainstream actors, regional industry stalwarts, classical litterateurs, and national award winners:
Cinema & Television Headliners: Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty, Manoj Joshi, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Pallavi Joshi, Roopali Ganguly, and Nishigandha Wad.
Filmmakers & Producers: Priyadarshan, Abhishek Jain (Wrong Side Raju), Neela Madhab Panda (I Am Kalam), and Telugu producer Supriya Yarlagadda (Annapurna Studios).
Music & Literature: Three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej, Sufi singer and former MP Hansraj Hans, National Award-winning film critic Vinod Anupam, and poet-author Yatindra Mishra.
Retained Members: Renowned theatre director Waman Kendre and veteran writer Ramesh Patange are the only two members carried forward from the outgoing panel.
Ending an Extended Regulatory Limbo
The reconstitution addresses a prolonged administrative delay:
The 2017 Predecessor: The CBFC board was last formally reconstituted in August 2017 with 12 members. Although appointed for a standard three-year term that expired in 2020, members continued under statutory sunset clauses allowing them to hold office until successors were officially notified.
Outgoing Names: Prominent outgoing members whose tenure formally concludes include actor Vidya Balan, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, Gautami Tadimalla, Vani Tripathi Tikoo, footballer Bhaichung Bhutia, Jeevitha Rajasekhar, T.S. Nagabharana, and Naresh Chandra Lal.
Operational Leadership: The new panel will deliberate under Shashi Shekhar Vempati, the former Prasar Bharati CEO who took charge as CBFC Chairperson in May 2026 following Prasoon Joshi's exit.
Regulatory Climate: Modern Certification Pressures
The arrival of the new panel coincides with heightened industry discussions around certification nuances under the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, which introduced age-based tiers (UA 7+, UA 13+, UA 16+):
Certification Delays: The board has frequently navigated public scrutiny over clearance bottlenecks—most notably the multi-year struggle surrounding Diljit Dosanjh’s biographical drama Satluj (formerly Punjab 95), which faced 120+ proposed modifications.
High-Stakes Screenings Ahead: The panel steps into office as several contentious projects await evaluation, including the inter-ministerial geopolitical clearance debate surrounding Salman Khan’s Galwan-inspired war drama Maatrubhumi.
Trade Verdict:
Expanding the CBFC panel to 18 active industry professionals—including active theatrical draws like Pankaj Tripathi and Suniel Shetty—brings practical filmmaking realities directly into the certification room. As OTT adaptations, theatrical blockbusters, and sensitive historical scripts face greater legal and public scrutiny, having practicing actors, regional producers, and global musicians at the table is expected to bring a balanced, contemporary perspective to film evaluation.
