HYDERABAD, September 18: The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has objected to a proposed screening of a documentary on jailed activist and former JNU student Umar Khalid at the International Institute of Information Technology-Hyderabad (IIIT-H), saying public exhibition of an uncertified film would violate the Cinematograph Act unless a specific exemption had been obtained. The planned screening was subsequently cancelled.
The Film and Television Institute of India Students’ Association (FTIISA) has criticised the CBFC’s intervention, arguing that the certification body went beyond its mandate. The CBFC and the students’ association have taken differing positions on how certification rules apply to screenings within educational institutions.
Documentary Was Scheduled to Be Screened Today
The documentary, titled “Prisoner No. 626710 is Present,” is directed by filmmaker Lalit Vachani and focuses on Khalid and his incarceration following his 2020 arrest.
A group of students had proposed screening the film at the KRB Auditorium on the IIIT-H campus at 8 PM on September 18. Reports said the programme was linked to an observance of Political Prisoners’ Day.
CBFC Says Uncertified Public Screening Violates Law
The CBFC said in a September 17 post that a documentary that has not yet received certification cannot be publicly exhibited unless a specific exemption has been obtained under the Cinematograph Act.
The board tagged IIIT-Hyderabad and asked the institute’s authorities to take note and take necessary action.
The CBFC functions under the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
IIIT-Hyderabad Cancels Screening
Following the CBFC’s objection, IIIT-H cancelled the planned event and the booking of the KRB Auditorium.
IIIT-H Director Sandeep Kumar Shukla informed students that screenings of the uncertified film would not be permitted in institute spaces, including classrooms, laboratories and offices.
The institute separately clarified that neither IIIT-H nor any of its recognised student clubs, cells or organisations had organised or hosted the proposed screening.
FTII Students’ Association Questions CBFC Intervention
The FTIISA criticised the CBFC’s action and argued that the certification authority was extending its jurisdiction beyond what the students’ body believes the law permits.
According to The Indian Express, FTIISA argued that a university campus should not automatically be treated in the same way as a formal public exhibition venue for certification purposes. It also described the intervention as politically motivated and raised concerns about academic autonomy. Those characterisations are the students’ association’s position, not an established legal finding.
The CBFC, by contrast, maintains that a public screening of an uncertified documentary requires certification or a specific statutory exemption.
Similar Screening Was Postponed at NLSIU Bengaluru
The controversy follows an earlier plan to screen the same documentary at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru.
That screening was postponed earlier this month following objections and protests, including from members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Students later gathered at the planned venue and read a letter written by Khalid instead of screening the film.
Umar Khalid Remains in Custody in Delhi Riots Case
Khalid was arrested in September 2020 in connection with the alleged larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 Northeast Delhi riots and faces charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He has denied wrongdoing and continues to pursue bail through the courts.
A Delhi court rejected fresh bail pleas filed by Khalid and co-accused Sharjeel Imam in July 2026, after which Khalid approached the Delhi High Court. The case remains pending; there has been no final determination of guilt in the conspiracy case.
The documentary-screening dispute has now added a separate debate over film certification rules, institutional autonomy and the scope of campus screenings, with the CBFC and student groups advancing different interpretations.
source – The Indian Express / PTI / The News Minute
Supreme News Network
