THE CINEMATOGRAPH ACT, 1952

[Act No. 37 of Year 1952, dated 21-3-1952]

An Act to make provision for the certification of cinematoraph fi!ms for e"hi#ition and for
re$!atin e"hi#itions #% means of cinematoraphs
&e it enacted #% 'ar!iament as fo!!o(s )-
PART I : PRELIMINARY
1. Short title, extet !" #o$$e#e$et
*1+ ,his Act ma% #e ca!!ed the -inematoraph Act, 1952.
*2+ 'arts ., .. and ./ e"tend to the (ho!e of .ndia 1[000] and 'art ... e"tends to the 1nion ,erritories
on!%.
*3+ ,his Act sha!! come into force on s$ch date as the -entra! 2overnment ma%, #% notification in
the 3fficia! 2a4ette, appoint)
'53/.676 that 'arts . and .. sha!! come into force in the 8tate of 9amm$ and :ashmir on!% on
s$ch date after the commencement of the -inematoraph *Amendment+ Act, 1973 *25 of 1973+,
as the -entra! 2overnment ma%, #% notification in the 3fficia! 2a4ette, appoint.]
2. %e&iitio'
.n this Act, $n!ess the conte"t other(ise re;$ires,-
*a+ <ad$!t< means a person (ho has comp!eted his eihteenth %ear=
*#+ <&oard< means the &oard of >i!m -ertification constit$ted #% the -entra! 2overnment $nder
section 3=]
*##+ <certificate< means the certificate ranted #% the &oard $nder section 5A=]
*c+ <cinematoraph< inc!$des an% apparat$s for the representation of movin pict$res or series of
pict$res=
*d+ <6istrict ?aistrate<, in re!ation to a presidenc%-to(n, means the -ommissioner of 'o!ice=
*dd+ <fi!m< means a cinematoraph fi!m=]
*e+ <p!ace< inc!$des a ho$se, #$i!din, tent and an% description of transport, (hether #% sea, !and
or air=
*f+ <prescri#ed< means prescri#ed #% r$!es made $nder this Act=
*+ <reiona! officer< means a reiona! officer appointed #% the -entra! 2overnment $nder section
5 and inc!$des an additiona! reiona! officer and an assistant reiona! officer=
*h+ < ,ri#$na! < means the Appe!!ate ,ri#$na! constit$ted $nder section 56.]
2A. Co'tr(#tio o& re&ere#e' to !) l!* ot i &or#e or !) &(#tio!r) ot i exi'te#e
i the St!te o& +!$$( !" ,!'h$ir
An% reference in this Act to an% !a( (hich is not in force, or an% f$nctionar% not in e"istence, in
the 8tate of 9amm$ and :ashmir, sha!!, in re!ation to that 8tate, #e constr$ed as a reference to
the correspondin !a( in force or to the correspondin f$nctionar% in e"istence, in that 8tate.]
PART II : CERTI-ICATION O- -ILMS -OR P./LIC E0HI/ITION
1./o!r" o& -il$ Certi&i#!tio
*1+ >or the p$rpose of sanctionin fi!ms for p$#!ic e"hi#ition, the -entra! 2overnment ma%, #%
notification in the 3fficia! 2a4ette, constit$te a &oard to #e ca!!ed the 2[&oard of >i!m -ertification]
(hich sha!! consist of a -hairman and @[not !ess than t(e!ve and not more than t(ent%five] other
mem#ers appointed #% the -entra! 2overnment.
*2+ ,he -hairman of the &oard sha!! receive s$ch sa!ar% and a!!o(ances as ma% #e determined
#% the -entra! 2overnment, and the other mem#ers sha!! receive s$ch a!!o(ances or fees for
attendin the meetins of the &oard as ma% #e prescri#ed.
*3+ ,he other terms and conditions of service of the mem#ers of the &oard sha!! #e s$ch as ma%
#e prescri#ed.
2.Ex!$i!tio o& &il$'
*1+ An% person desirin to e"hi#it an% fi!m sha!! in the prescri#ed manner make an app!ication to
the &oard for a certificate in respect thereof, and the &oard ma%, after e"aminin or havin the
fi!m e"amined in the prescri#ed manner,-
*i+ sanction the fi!m for $nrestricted p$#!ic e"hi#ition .
'53/.676 that, havin reard to an% materia! in the fi!m, if the &oard is of the opinion that it is
necessar% to ca$tion that the ;$estion as to (hether an% chi!d #e!o( the ae of t(e!ve %ears ma%
#e a!!o(ed to see s$ch a fi!m sho$!d #e considered #% the parents or $ardian of s$ch chi!d, the
&oard ma% sanction the fi!m for $nrestricted p$#!ic e"hi#ition (ith an endorsement to that effect=
or]
*ii+ sanction the fi!m for p$#!ic e"hi#ition restricted to ad$!ts= or
*iia+ sanction the fi!m for p$#!ic e"hi#ition restricted to mem#ers of an% profession or an% c!ass of
persons, havin reard to the nat$re, content and theme of the fi!m= or]
*iii+ direct the app!icant to carr% o$t s$ch e"cisions or modifications in the fi!m as it thinks
necessar% #efore sanctionin the fi!m for p$#!ic e"hi#ition $nder an% of the foreoin c!a$ses= or]
*iv+ ref$se to sanction the fi!m for p$#!ic e"hi#ition.
*2+ No action $nder 3[the proviso to c!a$se *i+, c!a$se *ii+, c!a$se *iia+, c!a$se *iii+ or c!a$se *iv+] of
s$#-section *1+ sha!! #e taken #% the &oard e"cept after ivin an opport$nit% to the app!icant for
representin his vie(s in the matter.
5. A"3i'or) 4!el'
*1+ >or the p$rpose of ena#!in the &oard to efficient!% dischare its f$nctions $nder this Act, the
-entra! 2overnment ma% esta#!ish at s$ch reiona! centers as it thinks fit, advisor% pane!s each
of (hich sha!! consist of s$ch n$m#er of persons, #ein persons ;$a!ified in the opinion of the
-entra! 2overnment to A$de the effect of fi!ms on the p$#!ic, as the -entra! 2overnment ma%
think fit to appoint thereto.
*2+ At each reiona! centre there sha!! #e as man% reiona! officers as the -entra! 2overnment
ma% think fit to appoint, and r$!es made in this #eha!f ma% provide for the association of reiona!
officers in the e"amination of fi!ms.
*3+ ,he &oard ma% cons$!t in s$ch manner as ma% #e prescri#ed an% advisor% pane! in respect of
an% fi!m for (hich an app!ication for a certificate has #een made.
*B+ .t sha!! #e the d$t% of ever% s$ch advisor% pane! (hether actin as a #od% or in committees as
ma% #e provided in the r$!es made in this #eha!f to e"amine the fi!m and to make s$ch
recommendations to the &oard as it thinks fit.
*5+ ,he mem#ers of the advisor% pane! sha!! not #e entit!ed to an% sa!ar% #$t sha!! receive s$ch
fees or a!!o(ances as ma% #e prescri#ed.
5A. Certi&i#!tio o& &il$'
*1+ .f, after e"aminin a fi!m or havin it e"amined in the prescri#ed manner, the &oard considers
that-
*a+ the fi!m is s$ita#!e for $nrestricted p$#!ic e"hi#ition, or, as the case ma% #e, for $nrestricted
p$#!ic e"hi#ition (ith an endorsement of the nat$re mentioned in the proviso to c!a$se *i+ of s$#-
section *1+ of section B, it sha!! rant to the person app!%in for a certificate in respect of the fi!m a
<1< certificate or, as the case ma% #e, a <1A< certificate= or
*#+ the fi!m is not s$ita#!e for $nrestricted p$#!ic e"hi#ition, #$t is s$ita#!e for p$#!ic e"hi#ition
restricted to ad$!ts or, as the case ma% #e, is s$ita#!e for p$#!ic e"hi#ition restricted to mem#ers
of an% profession or an% c!ass of persons, it sha!! rant to the person app!%in for a certificate in
respect of the fi!m an <A< certificate or, as the case ma% #e, an <8< certificate=
and ca$se the fi!m to #e so marked in the prescri#ed manner)
'53/.676 that the app!icant for the certificate, an% distri#$tor or e"hi#itor or an% other person to
(hom the rihts in the fi!m have passed sha!! not #e !ia#!e for p$nishment $nder an% !a( re!atin
to o#scenit% in respect of an% matter contained in the fi!m for (hich certificate has #een ranted
$nder c!a$se *a+ or c!a$se *#+.]