The Cinematograph Act, 1952

Cinematograph Act, 1952

This 2025 edition of The Cinematograph Act, 1952 (Act 37 of 1952) reproduces the statute verbatim and folds in every current amendment, chiefly the Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023 (12 of 2023, w.e.f. 18-10-2023) and the decriminalisation tweaks under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 (15 of 2023, w.e.f. 1-9-2023).

Bound into the volume are:

• Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024 (G.S.R. 214 E, 15-3-2024)
• Cinematograph (Film) Rules, 1948 (classic exhibition-licensing framework)
• Cinematograph (Adjudication of Penalty) Rules, 2024 (G.S.R. 317 E, 17-6-2024)
• Latest “Guidelines for Certification of Films for Public Exhibition” issued by the Ministry of I&B
• Concise short comments follow pivotal provisions—flagging new certificate categories (UA 7+ / UA 13+ / UA 16+), perpetual validity of certificates, enhanced piracy penalties, and the 2024 one-stop e-portal—while preserving full Bare-Act integrity for open-book exams and courtroom citation.

Core statutory coverage

• Film certification process—CBFC composition, examining committees, revising committees, and appellate review.
• Age-based rating matrix—U, UA variants, A, and S classifications with descriptive content labels.
• Recertification & alteration—rules for OTT edits, director’s cuts, and regional-language versions.
• Piracy & camcording offences—new Sec. 6AA/6AB imposing imprisonment up to 3 years and hefty fines.
• Exhibition control—licensing of cinema halls, suspension powers, and emergency re-examination.
• Adjudication & penalty—monetary-penalty regime (replacing many criminal provisions) and compounding mechanics.
• Digital-application portal—end-to-end e-submission, QR-coded certificates, and fee-pay wallets (Rules 2024).

This edition is particularly suited for

• Filmmakers, OTT platforms & production houses navigating certification and anti-piracy compliance.
• AIBE candidates & law students studying media-entertainment, IP, and regulatory law.
• Cinematograph lawyers, CBFC panel members & exhibition-licence consultants requiring an authoritative, up-to-date text.
• Policy researchers, journalists & film-society curators tracking freedom-of-expression debates and content-rating reforms.

Exact Gazette text · pinpoint explanatory notes · zero superfluous commentary—your fastest route to clarity, authenticity, and practical insight on India’s film-certification regime