CBFC Seeks Action Against IIIT Hyderabad Over Screening of Umar Khalid Documentary
New Delhi: The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Thursday (September 17) has sought action against the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad, for organising a campus screening for the documentary Prisoner No. 626710 is Present, which is based on activist Umar Khalid’s life and journey, and the prolonged incarceration under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Khalid, a former student leader who was arrested on September 13, 2020, under UAPA, has been in judicial custody for more than six years in the “larger conspiracy” case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots.
“Public Screening of a Documentary film that has not yet been Certified by the CBFC is a violation of the Cinematograph Act unless a specific exemption has been sought under the Act. Authorities of @iiit_hyderabad may take note for necessary action,” read a statement by CBFC posted on X.
The post also shared a screenshot of what seemed like an email circular regarding the documentary’s screening at KRB Auditorium at the IIIT campus at 8 PM on September 18.
Public Screening of a Documentary film that has not yet been Certified by the CBFC is a violation of the Cinematograph Act unless a specific exemption has been sought under the Act. Authorities of @iiit_hyderabad may take note for necessary action. pic.twitter.com/KeZlkbqrFn
— CBFC केंद्रीय फिल्म प्रमाणन बोर्ड (@CBFC_Bharat) September 17, 2026
The CBFC is a statutory film certification body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, although in recent years, it has acted more as a censorship body.
To a user's question, in the comments, regarding what happens to film clubs where non-certified films are screened, the Board said, "There is a well laid out process for seeking exemptions and obtaining the same from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting."
However, the Board did not respond to this next question by the user: "But, if one believed that the ministry would grant exemption to screen a documentary critical of this govt, wouldn't one just apply for certification to the CBFC?"
The documentary is directed by Lalit Vachani and is based on archival footage and personal accounts.
The Hindu reported that earlier, the Law and Society Committee (LawSoc), a students’ organisation at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), were forced to postpone the screening of the documentary, which was scheduled for September 14, amid objections raised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and associated activists.
In related news, the IB ministry has reconstituted the CBFC on Wednesday after a gap of nine years, appointing 18 new members for a period of three years. It was last reconstituted on August 1, 2017.
The new Board has two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politicians – actor Rupali Ganguly who joined the BJP in 2024 and singer Hans Raj Hans, who was previously a BJP MP from North-West Delhi between 2019 and 2024 – while actor-producer Pallavi Joshi, one of the producers of The Kashmir Files, which was co-produced and directed by her spouse, Vivek Agnihotri, is also on the board.
Agnihotri himself was a member of the previous CBFC Board.
The new members also include well-known film personalities such as actors Preity Zinta, Suniel Shetty, Pankaj Tripathi and Prasenjit Chatterjee, among others.
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