To avoid any leakages online, CBFC bans censor copies on DVDs

With Censor Copies of recent films like Udta Punjab and Great Grand Masti being "leaked" on the internet, the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) has taken a decision to ban the submission of films on the DVD format for censor certification.

Films now have to be submitted to the CBFC on the DCP format (digital cinema projection). Says censor chief Pahlaj Nihalani, "We had so many complaints about DVD prints marked censor copy being leaked online. Firstly the censor copy was made by the producers, not us. So the leakage could be sourced to any place from the point where the producers make copies. But we stopped that procedure. We now watch films on the digital format. So there is no censor copy made for us."

So why are online leakages of some recent film seen to carry the Censor Copy watermark? "Not for us. But the Film Certificate Appellate Tribunal, known as the Tribunal, still requires a DVD copy," informs Nihalani.