Parliament Question: Blocking of screening films at International film festival in Kerala

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3286 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2026 Blocking of screening films at International film festival in Kerala

3286. Smt. Sagarika Ghose

Will the Minister of Information and Broadcasting be pleased to state:

(a) the specific reasons cited by the Ministry for flagging and blocking the screening of four films at the International Film Festival of Kerala;

(b) the reasons for delays in issuing censor exemption certificates; and

(c) whether the blocking was a result of any international pressure, if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (DR. L. MURUGAN)

(a) to (c) The request for exemption of films for screening at International Film Festival of Kerala was received in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on 03.12.2025. On examination of the request as per extant policy, the Ministry of I&B granted exemptions for 154 films on

12.12.2025, for 14 films on 15.12.2025, for 9 films on 16.12.2025 and for 3 films on

17.12.2025 which were within the stipulated timeline of 15 days for disposal of exemption requests. Accordingly, there was no delay in issuing exemption certificates.

As per extant instructions, an application for exemption from certification process for any film festival may preferably be sent to the Ministry of I&B one month in advance, but at least 15 days prior to the event.

The application for grant of exemption for screening of films at International Film Festival of Kerala was examined and accorded exemption as per Ministry of I&B’s guidelines. *****