Some theatres in Tamil Nadu have been allowing people under the age of 18 to A certified films, reports said. A circular has been sent to those theatres in this regard. Certified films can be watched by people aged 18 years or above.
Theatres have been warned that failure to comply with rules carries a penalty of 3 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs one lakh. These rules have been violated to a great extent by many theatres. There were reports that Manmadha Leelai, an A certified film, was seen by a lot of people under 18 years of age. Manmadha Leelai has been directed by Venkat Prabhu. Ashok Selvan, Samyuktha Hegde, Riya Suman and Smruthi Venkat are a part of this film.
A mandatory certificate is always issued by the CBFC (Central Board of Film certification) to every film. This certificate certifies the audience category for that film.
U (Unrestricted)- In this category, everyone is permitted to watch the film.
U/A (Unrestricted with caution) – In this category, parental guidance is required for kids watching the film and under 12 years of age.
A (Adults only)
S (Restricted to special classes only) – In this category, certain members of society (doctors, scientists and others) are permitted to watch this film.
CBFC has 9 regional offices across India.
Process of film certification:-
An examining committee is formed with CBFC members and an advisory panel.
A Report from all members is submitted to the chairperson.
The Chairperson can refer the film to the revising committee on his own. It can also be done at the behest of the application.
If directed, applicants have to delete the portions of the film and submit them to the regional officer. This submission has to be done along with a copy of the film as certified.
The total time of this process is 68 days.
Apart from the audience category, the length of the reel will also be shown. This length will indicate the duration of the film.
