Last updated on 26 February 2022.
Confused about what is a U/A and A certificate before an Indian movie? Here you can know everything about the Indian film rating system from the Certification Board.
Who gives Film Certificates in India?
Before you watch any movie in a theatre or on your TV, it has to be checked by the authorities. They check that there is nothing inappropriate shown in it and whether kids can watch it or not.
That’s where the Indian censor board comes in. CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) gives film certificates in India. They come under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Indian government.
How many censor boards are there in India? There is only one Censor Board in India, which is CBFC. Their headquarter is in Mumbai but they also have more offices in all big cities of the country.
Indian Film Ratings (U, U/A and A) Explained
There are 4 Film Certificates or Movie Ratings defined by the Indian board. These are U, U/A, A and S.
Here is a simple explainer of all film ratings:
- ‘U’ certificate: Unrestricted Public Exhibition meaning anyone can watch it. The theme of the movie is usually family-friendly and doesn’t contain long violence or nudity scenes.
- ‘U/A’ certificate: Anyone can watch it but kids under 12 years of age are advised to watch this movie with their parents (or any adult). But it is not necessary. These films can contain violent action scenes with some nudity allowed.
- ‘A’ certificate: Only Adults (18+ age) can watch it. Strong violence scenes, complete nudity and abusive language are allowed.
- ‘S’ certificate: These movies are only made for a ‘Special’ group of people like Doctors or Scientists.
Here is an infographic on the 4 certification types:
But there is a big difference between the first 3 of them, as explained by CBFC.
What difference between U, UA and A movies?
‘U’ ratings are given to any movie which can be seen by everyone. ‘A’ certificate movies are restricted only to adults. ‘U/A’ is similar to U, but kids below 12 years of age are just advised with caution, because it may have some mature scenes.
Examples of these movies are: Dangal got ‘U’, Ragini MMS 2 got ‘A’, and War got a ‘U/A’ certificate.
Note that people who want to watch an ‘A’ certified movie in India, are required to show a document showing that their age is 18 or above, before entering the theatre.
What is an R-rated movie in India?
Generally, an R-rated movie in the USA gets an A certificate in India. Both these types of movies have adult themes with more violent and sexual scenes. Examples are Gangs of Wasseypur(2012), Omkara (2006), Delhi Belly(2011), and Deadpool (2016).
So, people think that R-rated movies are equivalent to ‘A’ certificate movies in India. But that is not technically true.
‘R’ rating in the US means that kids under 17 can watch it if they are with an adult (like with their parents), while A certificate movies in India can only be seen by adults. Anyone under the age of 18 cannot watch it in any scenario. In this way, Indian authorities are more strict than the US.
‘A’ certificate in India is more similar to the NC-17 rating in the US where no one under the age of 17 is allowed to watch it.
How films are certified in India?
Any movie in India should first be certified by CBFC before the public can see it. First, the producer has to submit the application to one of the regional offices.
Then, a committee is appointed who watch the movie and they give the suitable certificate for it. The committee might suggest deleting or modifying some scenes. Then after the approval of the changes by a revising committee, the movie is allowed for public exhibition.
Takeaways
So now you know about the Indian movie ratings by the Censor Board. There is a difference between film types like U, U/A and A types in India. So, next time you go to a movie, please check the certificate type beforehand.
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