Signed by Rajendra Singh, chief executive officer of the CBFC , the new advisory makes it clear that incomplete works will not be encouraged, titles are subject to change, and announced release dates will not be taken into consideration. The Central Board of Film Certification released a new advisory dated October 26, 2026, for filmmakers seeking certification.
Release date not taken into consideration
Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj, formerly titled Punjab ‘95 was never cleared for release and was quietly dropped on Zee5. The same holds true for any announced release date. The advisory states that the announced release date will not be taken into account while processing films.
In the advisory, the CBFC mentions that films submitted for certification must be in their final form, including final graphics, background score and music, accessibility features, and more. Applications with incomplete prints, placeholder graphics, and missing elements will be treated as non-compliant. Such applications will be delayed or rejected. The date on which the application is approved as complete will be regarded as the date of receipt of the application. The certification will follow due process, procedure and timelines under the extant Act and Rules. Filmmakers have been reminded that examination, review and certification by the examining and revising committee fall under this due process. Filmmakers have been asked to submit applications well in advance of any intended release date to give the CBFC proper time to examine the film and issue directions for any changes. Tamil Nadu chief minister Vijay ’s Jana Nayagan’s delayed certification is one of the highly-publicised incidents of a tussle between filmmakers and the CBFC, with the filmmaker even taking the board to court but receiving no relief. It was taken down within hours. The CBFC issued new guidelines in September,
The CBFC will not be liable for any self-imposed release schedules, says the advisory.
