Batt Koch becomes the first film to have the Kashmiri language listed under the main language category on CBFC portal. Directed-written by Siddarth Koul and co-directed by Ankit Wali, the film is backed by Vinayak Razdan. The films stars MK Raina, veteran Indian theater actor and director among several others.
It has been a long wait for the makers to get the film censored. This 73-min film is entirely shot in Jammu & Kashmir.
Sharing about his endless struggle to get a censor certificate, Siddarth tells HTCity, “The struggle lasted about four months, but it was a period of intense uncertainty. When we went to certify Batt Koch, we realized that Kashmiri wasn’t even a selectable option on the CBFC’s e-CinePramaan portal. For years, Kashmiri filmmakers had to settle for the “Other Language” category, which felt like our linguistic identity was being sidelined.”
“We decided to fight it. The turning point came when I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw ji looked into the matter. He took immediate action, directing the CBFC administration to not only include Kashmiri but to ensure that all 22 languages listed in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution were added to the portal. It was a proud moment for us. The system-level correction took time, but we finally received our certificate on December 30, 2025, with Kashmiri rightfully recognized,” he adds.
“The primary challenge was that we were fighting a procedural ghost. Since Kashmiri had never been part of the main list, there was no established path for us to follow. This led to constant delays, technical clarifications, and a lot of back-and-forth across administrative levels. The roadblocks weren’t about the content of Batt Koch—it was entirely about classification and documentation. We had to be persistent and stay in constant dialogue with the authorities. It was exhausting, but it resulted in a historic correction. Because we pushed back, the portal is now inclusive of India’s true linguistic diversity, which is a huge win for all regional filmmakers, not just us,” he further adds.
Batt Koch, that is currently doing the rounds in the festivals globally, the makers plan to release the film in theatres.
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“We are definitely aiming for a theatrical release first. Batt Koch is a film that thrives on a shared experience. It’s a culturally rooted, family-oriented story, and we want audiences to feel those emotional and comic beats together in a cinema hall,” he reveals.
“Following the theatrical run, we’ll move to an OTT platform. We are being very selective because we want a platform that genuinely supports and understands the nuances of regional cinema. It’s about taking Batt Koch to a national and global audience while ensuring that its cultural soul and authenticity stay completely intact,” Koul signs off.
