The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the reconstituted panel, with Shashi Shekhar Vempati continuing as chairperson. The Central Board of Film Certification ( CBFC ) has a new 18-member board for the next three years, bringing together well-known names from film, television, music, theatre and literature. The new board includes popular actors alongside regional filmmakers, producers, theatre personalities, musicians, writers and critics, giving it representation across several parts of India’s entertainment industry. Here’s a closer look at the new members and their work across the creative space.
Pankaj Tripathi has years of experience across mainstream films, independent cinema and OTT to the board. The National Film Award-winning actor has carved a niche for himself with characters that feel rooted, and layered. He is currently enjoying the massive success of Mirzapur: The Movie. Supriya Yarlagadda brings years of experience from the Telugu film industry, having worked as both an actor and producer. She is closely associated with Annapurna Studios and has been part of the industry across different stages of film production. Three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej brings a strong global music perspective to the board. With his work spanning international collaborations and his long-standing focus on environmental causes, Ricky adds experience from beyond the traditional film industry to the panel.
Manoj Joshi has built a career across Hindi films, Gujarati theatre and television, taking on everything from comic roles to characters in period dramas. He is also a National Award recipient. Nishigandha Wad brings years of experience in Marathi and Hindi cinema to the board. The veteran actor and writer has also been a familiar face on television, with a career spanning several decades and multiple mediums. Nila Madhab Panda brings years of experience in independent filmmaking to the board. The National Award-winning filmmaker has made films such as I Am Kalam and Kadvi Hawa, often telling grounded stories around social issues, climate change and the lives of people on the margins. Hans Raj Hans, the Padma Shri-winning Punjabi singer, brings years of experience across Sufi, folk and devotional music. His long career, which also includes work in mainstream music, adds a strong connection to Punjab’s musical traditions and India’s diverse cultural heritage. The new board has been constituted with immediate effect for a term of three years, or until further orders. The new panel also includes Nila Madhab Panda, Manoj Joshi, Abhishek Jain, Supriya Yarlagadda, film critic Vinod Anupam, poet and writer Yatindra Mishra, Nishigandha Wad, and singer and former parliamentarian Hansraj Hans. Theatre director Waman Kendre and writer Ramesh Patange are the only two members of the previous board to have been retained in the newly constituted panel. But the film was postponed at the last minute when the examining committee sent it to a revising committee following a complaint from a member. The filmmakers received no relief from the courts and had to wait till July to finally release the film in theatres. Jana Nayagan leaked online in April in HD print, and numerous arrests were made.
Earlier reporting noted: Meet the 18 members of the newly formed CBFC: Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty, others. Actors Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, and Suniel Shetty find their names on the 18-member panel. Chairperson Shashi Shekhar Vempati will lead an 18-member panel that includes names like Preity Zinta , Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty , Pallavi Joshi, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Rupali Ganguly, Priyadarshan, and Ricky Kej, among others.
Earlier reporting noted: Before that, the CBFC made news when H Vinoth’s Tamil film Jana Nayagan , starring Vijay, Mamitha Baiju, Bobby Deol and Pooja Hegde, did not release as planned in January for Pongal. See full list The Central Board of Film Certification ( CBFC ) has been reconstituted by the Centre on Wednesday. Earlier reporting noted: On Wednesday, the Centre reconstituted the CBFC panel.
