Big news for movie lovers: Censor Board to make films accessible for hearing & visually impaired

Kochi: Imagine a white car driving through lush green tea gardens on the screen, with the title "Munnar 2002 Prabhatham" (Munnar 2002) displayed. Can a visually impaired person experience this scene while sitting in a cinema theatre? Yes, now they can. The Censor Board is paving the way for this. Starting January 1, all films will be screened in theatres with features to include differently-abled people.

Through a mobile app, the description of scenes without dialogue will be delivered to the visually impaired. This will include written information such as time, date, and location. Apps like UFO and Greta currently provide this service. Visually impaired viewers can download these apps by scanning a QR code on their special ticket allotted and listen to the visual descriptions through their mobile phones.

The Censor Board circular also suggests that sounds like gunshots or cawing of crows, which are not accompanied by visuals, should have descriptions for the hearing impaired.

From January 1, films will only be given a censor certification if a print with visual descriptions and subtitles is submitted. Visual descriptions are already mandatory for multilingual films, with the film Pani being the first to be released this way.

A senior Censor Board officer explained that this initiative is part of efforts to promote inclusiveness. This requirement is also available on OTT platforms.

However, there are concerns about the challenges this could pose, such as hindering the experience for other audience members and the cost, which could be around Rs 1 lakh per language. Kishan Mohan, owner of Sapthaa Records and sound engineer, stated that efforts will be made to keep the cost low.