Honey Trehan slams CBFC advisory as cowardness and dictatorship

The Central Board of Film Certification’s newest advisory has touched a nerve. Director Honey Trehan, whose Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj spent nearly three years in a certification standoff, says the board’s October 26 notice is “cowardness and dictatorship” and “not the democratic approach towards the freedom of speech.”

What the new advisory changes

Under the new rule, the CBFC will only examine the finished version of a film, including titles, graphics and sound. Announced titles and release dates will no longer be considered during certification.

The board had issued an earlier set of guidelines in September, and the October advisory follows the appointment of 18 new members—the first reconstitution since 2017. Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty, Pallavi Joshi, Ricky Kej and Supriya Yarlagadda are among the new panel.

Why Trehan’s reaction matters

Trehan’s anger is not academic. Satluj, first titled Ghallughara and later Panjab 95, remained with the board for almost three years because the makers would not agree to the changes asked for. In July, the film quietly landed on Zee5 without cuts, but was removed within hours.

The board’s message resets the negotiation: an announced title or a promised release date gives a producer no standing. The only thing that counts is the final cut.

The wider pattern

Other films have felt the same pressure. Tamil Nadu chief minister Vijay’s last film, Jana Nayagan, was sent to a revising committee just before its planned Pongal release in January and reached theatres only in July after the makers made the changes the board wanted. Several other titles across the country have had scenes cut and names altered.

What filmmakers should do now

If you are producing a film, the path is simpler and harder at once:

• Lock the final cut, including titles, graphics and sound, before submitting.
• Treat announced dates as marketing plans, not as leverage with the board.
• Keep release windows flexible until the certificate is in hand.

For fans, the rule raises a question about how much room Indian cinema has to tell difficult stories. When a director calls a government board dictatorial, it is a reminder that every title on screen has already passed through a gatekeeper.

Source: The Times of India