Govt reconstitutes CBFC after 9 years; Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi on board

Several members of the previous board, including Waman Kendre and Ramesh Patange, have also been retained.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) was reconstituted on Wednesday after nine years, with the government appointing 18 members to the body, expanding its strength from the 10 members of the previous board, even though as per the Cinematograph Act of 1952, the CBFC must have between 12 and 25 members excluding the chairperson.

Mumbai: Bollywood actor Pankaj Tripathi during the trailer launch of the 'Mirzapur: The Movie', in Mumbai, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. (PTI FILE)

The latest notification, issued by the ministry of information and broadcasting, names actors Suniel Shetty, Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi and Prosenjit Chatterjee, filmmaker Priyadarshan, musician Ricky Kej and television actor Roopali Ganguly among the 18 members. Several members of the earlier board, including Waman Kendre and Ramesh Patange, have also been retained.

Yatindra Mishra, who is called the prince of the former royal family of Ayodhya, is also part of the board. He is the son of the late Bimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, who served as a trustee of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. According to an ANI report, Mishra also designed the jewellery of the Ram Lalla idol in the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

The last full reconstitution of the CBFC was carried out in August 2017, with Prasoon Joshi as chairperson and 12 other members for three years or until further orders, whichever was earlier. Of the 12 members, two subsequently died leaving 10 surviving members.

A government official told HT that while 10 members remained on the board, only a few were actively involved in its functioning, making a broader reconstitution necessary. “Members are usually asked before they are made part of the board,” the official said, adding that the new 18-member composition constitutes a “full-fledged board”.