‘Dhurandhar’ Puts the Spotlight on Film Recertification for Television

A film completing its theatrical run doesn’t necessarily mean the same version can simply make it to television. “Dhurandhar,” set for its satellite premiere on October 18, has drawn attention to the additional editing and certification films may require before being cleared for television broadcast. The film will be aired as one film, running for more than four hours, and has been granted a UA 16+ certificate for its satellite premiere. The television version comes after "Dhurandhar" underwent 10 modifications and "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" underwent 21 modifications for their respective theatrical certifications. 

While there is no official confirmation that the satellite version has undergone the reported 40 cuts, a source says the makers have ensured that the changes required for television do not dilute the viewing experience. 

Why theatrical certification isn’t the end of the road

Films intended for satellite television broadcast must comply with the Cable Television Networks Rules and applicable certification guidelines. As a result, material permissible in a theatrical version—particularly an adult-certified film—may need modification before it is cleared for television.

The norms place restrictions on excessive violence, vulgarity, disturbing imagery and depictions of substance abuse. They also restrict content that glorifies or justifies anti-social behavior, detailed depictions of methods used to commit crimes and material that could encourage or incite an offense. In practical terms, filmmakers may have to return to the editing table, identify portions that could run afoul of television requirements and submit a modified version for certification. The process can be particularly challenging for films originally carrying an ‘A’ certificate.

With more adult-certified films coming up for recertification, the wait can be considerable. Producers have to factor this additional time into their satellite-premiere plans.

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Producer Nikhil Dwivedi, whose "Bandar" received an ‘A’ certificate for its theatrical release, acknowledges that adapting such films for television can be challenging. “It’s definitely a challenge. But TV guidelines have to be followed and filmmakers should be ready for modifications,” says Dwivedi.

Producer Jayantilal Gada, however, does not regard recertification itself as particularly cumbersome. He says filmmakers have long known that a separate version has to be submitted for satellite broadcast. “I don’t think it’s time-consuming. Everyone in the business knows that it’s a process,” says Gada, adding that delays can arise when filmmakers seek to retain material that certification authorities want modified. “If you voluntarily submit what you intend to show on satellite, you get clearance quickly. But if we insist that a particular scene shouldn’t be cut, then the process takes longer.”

For producers, undergoing the process has traditionally been worthwhile because satellite represented both a separate revenue stream and an opportunity to take a film to an audience considerably larger than its theatrical footprint. “Satellite is very important as it’s a territory in itself. It can’t be ignored,” Dwivedi says. “Plus, there is the reach. Everyone wants their film to be watched by the maximum number of people. Satellite gives you that.”

Shrinking Satellite Revenue 

But is satellite still worth the wait? That calculation is now changing. Producers are not necessarily pushing to get their films certified as quickly as they once did. The reason is economic: the satellite-rights market is no longer generating the kind of revenue it did at its peak. “Earlier, depending on the film, satellite rights could contribute anywhere between 15% and 40% of a producer’s earnings. Today, that figure has fallen to between zero and 10%,” says a senior distributor. Gada agrees that the satellite business is declining, but says it remains relevant given the size and economic diversity of the Indian audience. He estimates that only a fraction of India’s population goes to theatres, highlighting the vast untapped audience beyond the theatrical market. 

The senior distributor attributes satellite’s decline to a broader change in consumption patterns. “Earlier, television was the primary product, with cable and internet sold alongside it. Now, we are moving towards a situation where television will effectively be bundled with internet,” the distributor says. “Digital rights valuations have also dropped significantly,” the distributor says, estimating that digital-rights valuations have corrected by roughly 40% to 50%.

At one point, producers could count on satellite and digital deals to recover a substantial portion of a film’s investment irrespective of its theatrical performance. But that has changed. “We are almost back to the economics of the 1980s. If a film makes money theatrically, it has value. If it doesn’t, the other rights can no longer be relied upon to recover the economics,” the distributor says.

Against that backdrop, “Dhurandhar” is an interesting test case. Its four-hour-plus satellite outing demonstrates that television continues to offer films a second, potentially vast audience. But getting there can require another round of editing, modifications and certification at a time when the economics of satellite television are weakening. For filmmakers, the equation is getting more complicated because satellite still offers reach that is hard to ignore, even as digital grows more important and the commercial value of television rights declines.