CBFC Watch has documented over 100,000 movie cuts since 2017. Audiences are increasingly frustrated when they hear about the CBFC removing scenes or allowing content that feels questionable.
Many believe the board sometimes functions as a propaganda tool. It is often accused of favouring the ruling government’s ideologies and shaping narratives that reflect their views or protect their sentiments.
Complaints from moviegoers have been consistent.
Aman Bhargava, a Bengaluru-based developer and researcher, has been leading a team of volunteers since December 2024 to recover censorship records. Together, they have created an interactive website that tracks these edits.
The platform, named CBFC Watch, is an open-source database that records the Central Board of Film Certification’s censorship decisions. It has been monitoring film cuts and modifications from 2017 to 2025.
The website documents more than 100,000 cuts made to nearly 20,000 films over the last seven years.
Its analysis divides CBFC edits into categories such as profanity, substance abuse, violence, sexual content, and religious or political material.
The data reveals that the CBFC disproportionately targets religious, political, and substance abuse content, while profanity, violence, and sexual content are censored comparatively less.
It also highlights regional variations in censorship. Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram lead the list, with these certifying offices censoring more content than other regions in India.
The website further lists films that have been heavily modified and shows how much time was cut.
At present, the site offers detailed data on 17,300 films and over 101,000 censorship records.
Although the creators initially faced challenges in building the platform, CBFC Watch is now live and accessible to everyone. It provides a clear view of censorship trends shaping Indian cinema.
Controlling art often means controlling society, and these statistics may be revealing far more than just numbers.
