Abolition of Film Certification Appellate Tribunal leaves film industry puzzled, anxious

The Government of India’s decision to abolish the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) has triggered a wave of criticism with filmmakers questioning the necessity of such a move

Abolition of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) by the Government of India last week — under the Tribunal Reforms Ordinance, 2021 — came as a bolt out of the blue for stakeholders in Indian cinema. Based in New Delhi, the FCAT was the place disgruntled filmmakers walked into as a penultimate resort to challenge edits suggested to their films by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). National Award-winning filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj set in motion the outpouring of grief with this tweet on April 6, the day the news of FCAT’s abolition crept out: “Such a sad day for cinema.”