Includes 18 members such as Yatindra Mishra, Manoj Joshi, Priyadarshan, Suniel Shetty, Hansraj Hans, Preity Zinta, and Pankaj Tripathi

Report: Ravindra Arya

New Delhi. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, has reconstituted the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and formed a new 18-member team. According to the notification issued on September 16, 2026, the reconstitution has come into effect immediately and will remain valid for three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The new team includes prominent names from the fields of film, television, music, literature, theatre, and the arts.

The new CBFC team includes Vinod Anupam, Manoj Joshi, Abhishek Jain, Ricky Kej, Priyadarshan, Suniel Shetty, Hansraj Hans, Supriya Yarlagadda, Yatindra Mishra, Rupali Ganguly, Preity Zinta, Nila Madhab Panda, Pankaj Tripathi, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Pallavi Joshi, Nishigandha Wad, Waman Kendre, and Ramesh Patange.

Among the members of the new team, Vinod Anupam is known for film criticism and writing. Manoj Joshi is a renowned actor in Hindi and Marathi cinema, television, and theatre. Abhishek Jain is associated with film direction and production. Ricky Kej is an internationally acclaimed musician and a Grammy Award winner.

Priyadarshan is a well-known director and producer in Indian cinema who has worked in films across several Indian languages, including Hindi. Suniel Shetty is a popular actor in the Hindi film industry and has been associated with cinema for a long time. Hansraj Hans is a famous singer from the Punjabi music world who has established a distinct identity in Sufi and folk music. Supriya Yarlagadda is a producer associated with the Telugu film industry. Yatindra Mishra is known as a litterateur, writer, and scholar of music; his writings and discussions on Indian music and culture have been subjects of discussion for a long time.

Popular television actress Rupali Ganguly has also been included in the new team. Preity Zinta is a renowned Hindi cinema actress and has also been active as an entrepreneur in the film industry. Nila Madhab Panda is a director and producer who has earned recognition for films based on social themes.

Pankaj Tripathi is among the popular actors of Hindi cinema and is known for portraying diverse characters. Prosenjit Chatterjee is a veteran actor and producer in Bengali cinema who has been active in Indian regional cinema for several decades.

Pallavi Joshi is an actress and producer, while Nishigandha Wad is an actress associated with the Marathi and Hindi entertainment industries. Waman Kendre is a renowned Indian theatre director, actor, and theatre academician. Meanwhile, Ramesh Patange is a writer known for his work on socio-cultural subjects.

One of the key features of the new CBFC team is that it does not include only film artists but also provides representation to individuals from diverse creative fields such as cinema, music, literature, film criticism, and theatre. This brings to the board experience not only from the entertainment industry but also from various fields of Indian art and culture.

The new list has already generated discussion within the film and cultural spheres. Some view it as broad representation of people from different areas of Indian culture and creative sectors. At the same time, the change may receive different interpretations from political and ideological perspectives. However, the government notification does not designate these members as representatives of any specific political or ideological group.

The CBFC is responsible for certifying films for public exhibition. In this context, the film industry and audiences will be watching the new team’s decisions concerning the certification of films dealing with social, historical, religious, cultural, and contemporary themes.

Comprising 18 members, including popular actors and actresses along with directors, producers, musicians, writers, and theatre experts, the new team brings together experience from diverse fields. Going forward, the decisions and working methods of the new team will clarify how the evolving nature of Indian cinema and various socio-cultural themes are approached within the certification process.