After 'Animal' controversy, CBFC introduces a disclaimer about violence against women

Stills from Sookshmadarshini, and Animal

Those watching the Malayalam film, Sookshmadarshini, will notice a new disclaimer in a scene in the Nazriya Nazim and Basil Joseph-starrer. It reads, ‘Warning: Violence against women'. mid-day has learnt that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has introduced this disclaimer in scenes depicting any form of violence against women. It's said to be the result of almost a year-long discussion following the controversy sparked by Animal's (2023) release.

Last December, Ravinder Bhakar was asked to step down as the CBFC CEO. Reportedly, one of the reasons behind his dismissal was that he cleared Animal with minimal cuts despite the excessive violence and misogynistic tone of the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer (Smarting from the Animal attack, Dec 19).

Stills from Animal

The new disclaimer is the CBFC's attempt towards course correction. A censor board member, on condition of anonymity, told mid-day, "On its release, there was intense scrutiny over how Animal was granted certification with such ease. The decision to grant it an ‘A' certificate was correct, but the discourse was that the objectionable scenes should have been omitted, particularly those depicting violence against women. At that time, we didn't want to hamper the filmmaker's creative agency, but the scenes had sparked discussion within the CBFC too. A course correction was long due. So, we have a new disclaimer that comes on screen whenever a sequence shows violence against women."

Sookshmadarshini, which was certified on November 12, is the first Indian film to carry the warning. The disclaimer features at the two-hour-18-minute point. A CBFC source tells us, "The scene is crucial to the story. So, a static warning was requested to be added. During The Apprentice, we had asked to reduce a scene that depicted sexual violence. But the filmmaker [Ali Abbasi] refused to do so. This is an alternative that respects the filmmakers' agency, and at the same time, conveys that violence against women is wrong and not endorsed."

While the intention behind the warning is honest, it remains to be seen whether filmmakers will embrace it or argue that it compromises the viewing experience. When we reached out to a well-known female filmmaker, she said, on condition of anonymity, "The drinking and smoking disclaimers are jarring enough. There is a new one now! Films are a director's medium, and the system needs to trust the creator. Imagine adding a disclaimer every time a man is beaten up in an action film!"