‘Beyond its mandate’: FTII students’ body slams CBFC over Umar Khalid film row

The Film and Television Institute of India Students’ Association (FTIISA) has strongly criticized the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for its involvement in the screening of a documentary about jailed activist Umar Khalid at IIIT Hyderabad. On September 17, the CBFC issued a statement via X, asserting that a "public screening" of an uncertified documentary is a breach of the Cinematography Act and advised IIIT Hyderabad to take appropriate measures.

The FTIISA, representing India's most prestigious film school, responded by asserting that their duty is to remind the CBFC that a university is not a venue for the CBFC’s scrutiny. The FTIISA argued that the CBFC's action extends the board's statutory duties into a role of policing cinematic content based on the ruling regime's ideological leanings.

This is the first such public intervention by the recently restructured CBFC, they claimed. The student body further contended that this incident is not the first time the documentary has faced opposition from the "state", citing a similar postponement of its screening at National Law School of India University in Bengaluru due to similar opposition.

What sets this situation apart, according to FTIISA, is the CBFC's direct intervention in a university screening, casting doubt on the limits of its statutory authority. The association urged educational institutions to safeguard student and academic freedom, urging the CBFC to act as a genuine statutory body that contributes positively to cinema culture.

The documentary in question, 'Prisoner No. 626710 is Present', portrays the pre-trial incarceration of Umar Khalid, who has been held for over six years on charges linked to the 2020 Delhi riots allegations.