Information and Broadcasting Ministry orders probe into Tamil actor Vishal’s allegations against CBFC

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting responded to Tamil actor Vishal's allegations of corruption against the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in Mumbai on Friday(September 29). The ministry described the incident as "extremely unfortunate" and announced that a senior officer has been appointed to Mumbai to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

Taking to X, MIB wrote, “The issue of corruption in the CBFC brought forth by actor Vishal is extremely unfortunate. The government has zero tolerance for corruption, and the strictest action will be taken against anyone found involved. A senior officer from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has been deputed to Mumbai to conduct an inquiry today itself."

The "Mark Antony" starrer has stirred controversy by posting a video on his Twitter account. In the video, Vishal made serious allegations against the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) regarding the Hindi release of his film on Thursday (Sept. 28). He claimed that he had to pay a substantial sum of Rs 6.5 lakh to obtain a certificate for the Hindi version of his movie.

The video began with Vishal emphasising that it was not a promotional video but rather a discussion about his recent theatrical release, "Mark Antony." During his address, he mentioned key political figures like Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He explained that his team had applied for a certification online but encountered a last-minute issue that required their physical presence at the CBFC office.

Vishal's allegations did not stop there. He went on to accuse the filmmakers of being coerced into paying Rs 3 lakh for the screening to occur at the CBFC and an additional Rs 3.5 lakh to obtain the necessary certificate. He also mentioned a specific woman who handled the transaction, suggesting that such payments were customary. According to Vishal, others had paid Rs 4 lakh when submitting their films for certification and would be released in Telugu (dubbing) on the same day.

The film was released in theatres globally on September 15. The leading actors play both father and son in the film. The theatrical trailer for the film generated enough hype ahead of its release. Adhik Ravichandran's comic action drama, co-written and directed by him, would be released in Telugu (dubbing) on the same day.

The highly anticipated Tamil movie 'Mark Antony' has already sold its digital rights to Zee5 for a substantial amount, around 30–40 crores INR. It's expected to be available on OTT platforms after five weeks of its theatrical release.