CBFC Gets 18 New Members; From Suneil Shetty, Preity Zinta To Pankaj Tripathi, Rupali Ganguly And Ricky Kej, Meet The Board

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory film-certification body in India that regulates the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952. Formed in January 1951, the board has now got 18 new members. Yesterday, the Government of India reconstituted the CBFC and included well known names like Preity Zinta, Suniel Shetty, Pankaj Tripathi and Rupali Ganguly on the new board. The board, not only includes actors but also filmmaker Priyadarshan and Grammy award-winning musician Ricky Kej. Scroll below to know more about it.

CBFC Gets 18 New Members

Last evening, the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the reconstituted panel, with Shashi Shekhar Vempati continuing as chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification. The new CBFC board includes popular actors as well as filmmakers, producers, theatre personalities, musicians, writers and critics. Here’s a look at the new members and their work across the creative space.

Actors On The Board

• Preity Zinta – Preity has been active in the Hindi film industry for years and starred in several hit and much-loved films of the late 1990s and 2000s. Some of her top titles include Dil Chahta Hai, Veer-Zaara, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Koi… Mil Gaya, Salaam Namaste and more.
• Suniel Shetty – With more than 100 films to his credit, Suniel Shetty has been active in the Hindi film industry for over three decades. Regarded as one of the most popular action stars of the 1990s, he continues to impress both in films and shows across platforms and languages.
• Pankaj Tripathi – Bollywood actor who has been part of mainstream films, independent cinema and OTT. He’s also the recipient of The National Film Award. His last major big screen release is Mirzapur: The Movie.
• Prosenjit Chatterjee – Prosenjit is one of the most recognisable faces of Bengali cinema. Fondly called ‘Bumba Da’, Chatterjee has worked across mainstream entertainers for decades and starred in acclaimed films such as Chokher Bali and Autograph.
• Rupali Ganguly – Rupali is one of the most prominent names in the Hindi television space at the moment thanks to her ongoing show, Anupamaa. She too have been active in the entertainment industry for decades now and gained immense fame for essaying the role of Monisha in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai.
• Pallavi Joshi -Pallavi is both an actor and filmmaker who has worked across mainstream and parallel cinema. She’s also won the National Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress for her performances in films like The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files – both which she’s produced as well.
• Manoj Joshi – Joshi is a well known name in the Hindi films, Gujarati theatre scene as well as the television space. The actor – who is a National Award recipient, is known for playing a variety of characters across comedies and period dramas.
• Nishigandha Wad – Nishigandha has been active in both the Marathi and Hindi film industry for years. Aside from filmThe veteran actor and writer has also been a familiar face on television, with a career spanning several decades and multiple mediums.

Filmmakers

• Priyadarshan – Priyadarshan is well known across Hindi and Malayalam cinema for delivering acclaimed and much-loved titles for decades. Some of his most famous titles that are rewatched a number of times include Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Bhagam Bhag, Hungama and more. His last big screen release was the Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar thriller Haiwaan.
• Nila Madhab Panda – The National Award-winning filmmaker is know for films such as I Am Kalam and Kadvi Hawa. Nila – who is well known for independent film is known for telling grounded stories around social issues, climate change and the lives of people on the margins.
• Abhishek Jain – Jain has been closely associated with films such as Kevi Rite Jaish and Bey Yaar. He’s credited for helping put contemporary, urban Gujarati stories on the map and connect them with a younger audience.
• Supriya Yarlagadda – Supriya brings years of experience from the Telugu film industry. She’s worked as both an actor and producer, and is closely associated with Annapurna Studios.
• Waman Kendre – Waman Kendre, who continues on the board from its previous term, brings with him decades of experience in theatre. Kendre is a respected theatre director and former Director of the National School of Drama.

Musicians

• Ricky Kej – A three-time Grammy Award winner, Kej brings a strong global music perspective to the CBFC board. With his work spanning international collaborations, Ricky adds experience from beyond the traditional film industry to the panel.
• Hans Raj Hans – The Padma Shri-winning Punjabi singer, brings years of experience across Sufi, folk and devotional music. His long career includes work in mainstream music as well as traditional Punjabi musical traditions and a nod to India’s diverse cultural heritage.
• Yatindra Mishra – Mishra is a well known author, poet and scholar of Indian classical music. His writing often focus on the worlds of music and cinema, as well as the artists and cultural figures who have shaped them.
• Vinod Anupam – Anupam is a film critic and author.
• Ramesh Patange – Patange – who has been retained from the previous board, is a writer and social thinker whose work engages with cultural and socio-political issues.

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Grinell Jacinto

With nearly 10 years of experience, Grinell Esther Jacinto is the Desk Head of Bollywood Bubble. Her interests lie in everything that is kaleshi and she loves to dig deeper into the lives of B-town actors. She has a problem though – she loves horror films but will have chills the minute the theatres lights dims. She’s previously worked with Koimoi, UrbanAsian and SpotboyE.