Cinema VinesThe Indian government is reportedly moving to make Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) clearance mandatory for movies that debut directly on over‑the‑top (OTT) streaming services, following a controversy over the film Satluj. The drama, which chronicles the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was streamed on Zee5 on July 3 under the title Satluj without a CBFC certificate and was removed from the platform just two days later.
According to a report by India Today, the Centre is considering a policy shift that would require all films released on digital platforms to obtain a CBFC certificate before they can be streamed, mirroring the certification process for theatrical releases. The proposal would be enforced through amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules.
The controversy began when Satluj was screened on Zee5 without the mandatory certification. Government sources say that the screening was “legally impermissible” and that state governments are now being urged to initiate criminal proceedings against any platform that releases uncertified content. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has the authority to direct streaming services to remove such films, a power that was reportedly exercised in the Satluj case.
In addition to the potential regulatory changes, the government is also weighing whether to take action against Zee5 for allegedly streaming the uncertified version of the film. No official decision has yet been announced, but the Centre has reportedly asked state governments to act if any film is publicly screened without the required certification.
The film Satluj had originally been titled Punjab ’95 and was submitted to the CBFC for certification years earlier, but it was never cleared in that form. The recent release on Zee5, which was uncut and uncertified, sparked the current debate over the need for a uniform certification process across all media platforms in India.
