Power Star featuring Puneet Rajkumar and Aryan starring Shivarajkumar, produced on multi-crore budgets, are all set for release.
But, a problem at the Bangalore Regional Office of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has stopped them from hitting the screens.
Absence of members on the advisory panel of the Bangalore office of CBFC has delayed the release of as many as 13 Kannada films in the State. At least six of them are big-budget films.
According to Regional Officer, CBFC, Bangalore, M. Nagendra Swamy, of the 99 members, the term of 92 members ended on June 30. Only seven were left on the panel to watch and certify films. Importantly, the term of all women members has ended. As per guidelines, each film has to be viewed by five members — of which at least two have to be women — before certification.
The CBFC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which regulates public exhibition of film under the provisions of Cinematography Act, 1952.
It has nine regional offices in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Tiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Cuttack and Guwahati. The CBFC is assisted by an advisory panel in the regional offices. These members will hold office for a period of two years. The Cinematography (Certification) Rules 1983 has laid down a procedure that a producer must go through before getting certified. “Issuing certificate in the absence of women members amounts to violation of the Act,” he explained. The regional office has appraised the Information Ministry of the problem and appealed to them to extend the term of retired members till new appointments were made. However, there has been no response, Mr. Swamy said.
