CBFC Reconstituted With 18 Members: Preity Zinta, Suniel Shetty and Pankaj Tripathi Join New Board
NEW DELHI: The Centre has reconstituted the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with 18 members, bringing actors Preity Zinta, Suniel Shetty and Pankaj Tripathi, filmmaker Priyadarshan and musician Ricky Kej into the new board with immediate effect.
New CBFC board takes charge
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued the notification on September 16, constituting the board for three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The appointments were made under Section 3(1) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, read with Rule 3 of the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024.
According to the Press Information Bureau, the CBFC new members 2026 list contains 18 names representing cinema, music, writing, criticism, production and theatre.
The Preity Zinta Suniel Shetty CBFC appointments have attracted particular attention because both actors are among the most recognisable names in the new panel.
Full list includes prominent industry names
The CBFC new members 2026 list includes Manoj Joshi, Abhishek Jain, Ricky Kej, Priyadarshan, Hansraj Hans, Supriya Yarlagadda, Yatindra Mishra, Roopali Ganguly, Neela Madhab Panda, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Pallavi Joshi, Nishigandha Wad, Waman Kendre, Ramesh Patange and Vinod Anupam, alongside Zinta, Shetty and Tripathi.
The board therefore includes actors as well as filmmakers, producers, writers, musicians and other professionals connected to the wider arts and entertainment sector.
The Indian Express also reported the appointments, noting the inclusion of several established film personalities.
Preity Zinta, Suniel Shetty among notable additions
The Preity Zinta Suniel Shetty CBFC appointments have become the most visible part of the reshuffle, particularly because both actors have long careers in mainstream Hindi cinema.
Pankaj Tripathi, Priyadarshan, Pallavi Joshi, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Roopali Ganguly are among the other prominent entertainment figures joining the board.
The government notification itself, however, does not attach individual policy responsibilities to the members. Their appointment places them on the statutory board responsible for film certification rather than assigning them separate portfolios.
What the new board will oversee
The CBFC new members 2026 list comes at a time when film certification continues to involve questions around age classifications, content standards and the treatment of material intended for public exhibition.
The board’s work is governed by the Cinematograph Act and the applicable certification rules. Its role is therefore institutional rather than simply advisory to the film industry.
The reconstitution also comes amid a wider expansion of India’s creative and technology sectors. The country’s efforts to build domestic capabilities across different industries have included India’s technology push, from space programmes to digital and advanced technology initiatives.
Three-year term begins immediately
The Preity Zinta Suniel Shetty CBFC appointments, along with those of the other 15 members, took effect immediately following the government’s notification.
The new board will serve for three years unless the government issues further orders earlier. The CBFC new members 2026 list therefore establishes the composition of the certification body for the coming term.
For the entertainment industry, attention will now shift from the high-profile names on the panel to how the reconstituted board approaches film certification decisions and the implementation of the applicable rules.
The Preity Zinta Suniel Shetty CBFC appointments have given the reshuffle immediate public visibility, but the board’s institutional decisions over its three-year term will ultimately determine the significance of the reconstitution.
