Shyam Benegal panel on censor board to seek extension

The panel, constituted to look at overall functioning of the board, has sought the extension from I&B ministry

The Shyam Benegal panel, constituted to look at the overall functioning of the censor board, will seek an extension of its tenure from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

The committee, which was expected to provide a holistic framework for film certification, was to submit its recommendations by this month-end.

"We have just finished getting feedback from all the stakeholders. We will have our next meeting in a week's time. We will be asking for an extension as it cannot be done in a hurry," Benegal told PTI.

When asked about how long an extension he has in mind, Benegal said it could be a month or more.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry had on January 1 this year constituted the committee headed by the eminent filmmaker for a holistic interpretation of the provisions of the Cinematograph Act and Rules.

The panel was formed against the backdrop of a string of controversies related to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and was asked to submit its report within two months.

A few days before the panel was constituted, I&B Minister Arun Jaitley had said he felt a time had come to have a look at the role of the CBFC which needs to be "controversy-free".

Apart from Benegal, the committee includes actor Kamal Haasan, filmmakers Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Gautam Ghose, adman Piyush Pandey, film critic Bhawana Somaaya and some officials.