Bhubaneswar: In a proud moment for Odisha, acclaimed filmmaker from the state, Nila Madhab Panda, has been named a member in the reconstituted Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued the notification to this effect on Wednesday. The new 18-member board, which is involved in India’s film certification process, will serve for three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier, the ministry said.
For a state whose cinema often struggles for national visibility, Panda’s appointment is being read as recognition of both the filmmaker and the stories he has carried from Odisha to the rest of India.
In a social media post, the Padma Shri awardee filmmaker said: “I am deeply honoured and humbled to have been given the opportunity to serve as a member of the Central Board of Film Certification by the Government of India. I don’t see the role as strict or liberal, but as a responsibility to be fair, balanced and guided by the law and certification guidelines of our country.
“As a filmmaker, I understand the passion behind every story. I hope to help find the right balance between creative freedom and respecting India’s extraordinary diversity, culture and values. I remain, above all, a filmmaker committed to the power of cinema,” he added.
I am deeply honoured and humbled to have been given the opportunity to serve as a member of the Central Board of Film Certification, by the Government of India.
I don’t see the role as strict or liberal, but as a responsibility to be fair, balanced and guided by the law and…
— NILAMADHAB PANDA ନୀଳମାଧବ ପଣ୍ଡା (@nilamadhabpanda) September 16, 2026
Panda has crafted his filmmaking career around socially rooted cinema. His films have taken on climate change, water scarcity, sanitation, child rights and rural hardship. ‘I Am Kalam’ won a National Award and dozens of international honours. ‘Jalpari’ was recognised at Cannes. ‘Kadvi Hawa’ earned a National Award special mention. His Odia film ‘Kalira Atita’ won the National Film Award for Best Odia Feature Film. In 2016, he received the Padma Shri.
For Odisha’s film community, the Sonepur-born director’s presence matters because certification decisions shape how regional films travel, how local stories are framed, and whether filmmakers from smaller industries find a fair hearing in a national process.
The reconstitution comes after a long gap. The previous board was last formally reconstituted in 2017, and the CBFC had only recently held a board meeting after years.
CBFC Chairperson Shashi Shekhar Vempati welcomed the new members after the list was released.
The new board also includes actors Preity Zinta, Suniel Shetty, Pankaj Tripathi, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Manoj Joshi, Roopali Ganguly, Pallavi Joshi and Nishigandha Wad; filmmakers Priyadarshan and Abhishek Jain; Grammy-winning composer Ricky Kej; producer Supriya Yarlagadda; singer Hansraj Hans; writer Yatindra Mishra; theatre personality Waman Kendre; and Vinod Anupam and Ramesh Patange.
Also Read: CBFC’s New Board Announced: Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty Among 18 Members