Shashi Shekhar Vempati Appointed CBFC Chairperson

NEW DELHI – In a significant reshuffle of India’s media and entertainment regulatory bodies, the Union Government has appointed former Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati as the Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

In a reciprocal move, the outgoing CBFC chief and noted lyricist Prasoon Joshi has been named the Chairman of Prasar Bharati, effective May 2.

The New CBFC Chief: A Tech-First Approach

Shashi Shekhar Vempati brings a strong background in digital infrastructure and emerging technology to the censor board.

• Previous Leadership: Served as the CEO of Prasar Bharati from 2017 to 2022.
• Diverse Experience: Held key roles at the University Grants Commission (UGC), BARC, and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• AI Focus: More recently, Vempati has been a vocal proponent of domestic AI development through his forum AI4India and his board position at BharatGen, an IIT Bombay-incubated initiative focusing on Indic language AI models.

Prasoon Joshi’s Transition

Prasoon Joshi, who has headed the CBFC since 2017, moves to the public broadcaster with a legacy of modernization. A renowned screenwriter and advertising professional, Joshi’s tenure was marked by the launch of e-Cinepramaan, a digital system designed to streamline film certification and reduce administrative delays.

A Tenure of Expansion and Legal Hurdles

While digitization flourished under the previous leadership, the CBFC also saw an expansion in the scope of censorship. From 2018 to 2022, the board intensified its scrutiny in several key areas:

• Political Personalities: Increased sensitivity toward the depiction of real-life political figures.
• Religious Themes: Heightened monitoring of content involving religious sentiments.
• Transparency Shifts: While “cut lists” were previously accessible to the public, the CBFC ended this practice last year, drawing criticism from transparency advocates.

Recent Legal Challenges

The board under Joshi recently faced high-profile litigation from filmmakers. The producers of the Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency both took the CBFC to court, alleging that certificates were being illegally withheld even after the films had been cleared by examining committees.

The Road Ahead

Vempati’s appointment comes at a time when the film industry is navigating complex challenges, including the rise of OTT platforms and the integration of AI in content creation. Observers will be watching closely to see if his background in technology leads to a more transparent, data-driven certification process or if the recent trend of expanded censorship continues.