9 movie channels went off the air from August 21 after the Mumbai Police confiscated the decoders of major cable networks and beaming equipment of channels on the charge that they had violated the law by telecasting uncertified movies.
With the social service branch of Mumbai Police giving a green signal to movie channels to resume telecast with fresh equipment, movie buffs will now be able to view the films of their choice.
But the permission comes with a rider that the channels will follow the Mumbai High Court directives that they would not air uncertified or adult movies.
"Instruments which were used for beaming movies have been confiscated by police. Hence beaming by new equipment has resumed. But they will have to exercise caution and they shall not beam films with adult certification, otherwise they would be liable for confiscation again," DCP Sanjay Aparanti of Social Service Branch of Mumbai Police told PTI.
Senior Vice President, Zee Network, Ashish Kaul told PTI that the broadcasters are following the government directive in true spirit which says that no film without a censor certification should be aired.
For a few international films for which broadcasters have rights but have not been certified, the censor board would be approached for certificates, Kaul said.
He said the broadcasters have already resumed telecast of films. At a meeting organised by DCP Social Branch, in which broadcasters and cable operators sat together, it was decided that broadcasters will provide fresh decoders to cable operators so that the telecast is not hampered.
Almost all cable operators except Hathway and In Cable (who hold sizeable chunk of connections in Mumbai) have resumed telecast of the movie channels, the official added.
DCP Sanjay Aparanti also told PTI that cable operators could acquire fresh decoders from broadcasters and resume telecast.