As The Kerala Story awaits release in the UK, here's what the British film board says

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) says that The Kerala Story is still undergoing the classification process as the film awaits its release in the UK. In a tweet on May 12, the BBFC said that the film will be available in theatres only after it receives the BBFC age rating and content advice. "The Kerala Story is still going through our classification process. Once the film has received a BBFC age rating and content advice, it will be available to be screened in UK cinemas," the tweet read.

The film was supposed to release in 40 countries including the UK on May 12 but the shows were cancelled after it failed to receive BBFC's certification on time. More than 30 theatres were set to release the movie in Hindi and Tamil but the cancellation has forced websites to refund the money spent on advance bookings.

Talking about the cancellation, actor Charles Thomson who is based in India but has roots in London, said that the British have 'stuffed it up'. He, however, said that the cancellation is only adding to the movie's popularity and it will eventually be released. Meanwhile, The Kerala Story, directed by Sudipto Sen and starring Adah Sharma, is running overseas in theatres in the US, Canada, Ireland and Australia. 

How are movies classified in the UK?

The BBFC says that the films for release are first seen by at least two of its Compliance Officers, and in most cases, their age rating recommendation is approved by the Compliance Managers. "Classification is the process of giving age ratings and content advice to films and other audiovisual content to help children and families choose what’s right for them and avoid what’s not," BBFC's website says. 

Other members of the board including the Chief Executive, the President and Vice Presidents can also see the movie if the Compliance Officers are in doubt, especially when the movie is on the borderline between two categories, or if important policy issues are involved. As for the age rating, there are six categories- U (Universal), PG (Parental Guidance), 12A, 12, 15 and 18. 

Whether a film gets a release license or not depends on the nods of the officials who analyse aspects such as bad language, dangerous behaviour, discrimination, drugs, horror, nudity, sex, violence and sexual violence when making recommendations. "They also consider context, tone and impact - how it makes the audience feel," says the BBFC.