3 min readMar 17, 2026 06:00 AM IST First published on: Mar 17, 2026 at 06:00 AM ISTMany of us grew up watching and discussing iconic scenes from our favourite Bollywood movies. The reunion in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, the farewell in Kal Ho Na Ho, the romance and friendship that defined Kuch Kuch Hota Hai are cultural touchstones for a generation. They are scenes friends quote, families revisit, and social media celebrates. Yet, as a blind person, I was largely deprived of those shared experiences. I could not independently engage with these films. That exclusion was not merely about entertainment; it was about being cut off from a cultural conversation. All that is set to change now.From March 15, every new film released in India must carry audio description for persons with visual impairment and same-language captions for persons with hearing impairment. This historic moment is the culmination of a long and hard-won struggle for accessibility in the entertainment ecosystem.AdvertisementThe legal foundation was laid nearly a decade ago. Section 42 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, enacted in 2017, obligates the government to ensure that content in electronic media is accompanied by accessibility features such as audio description and captions. For years, this remained largely on paper. In 2023, four petitioners in the Delhi HC complained about the lack of accessibility features in the film Pathaan. Three of the petitioners were blind, and one had a hearing impairment. I had the privilege of representing them in court. Their grievance was simple: In an age when technology makes access easy, why should people with disabilities remain excluded? The court directed that Pathaan include accessibility features in its OTT release, and also instructed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to formulate guidelines to enforce accessibility standards across the film industry.The ministry complied. On March 15, 2024, it released the “Guidelines of Accessibility Standards in the Public Exhibition of Feature Films in Cinema Theatres for Persons with Hearing and Visual Impairment.” Clause 6.1 created a clear, time-bound mandate: All new films must include audio description and same-language captions by March 15, 2026. For multilingual films and those seeking eligibility for National Awards, the requirement already applied. Now, the mandate becomes universal.This is no small feat. Practically speaking, accessibility in cinemas is enabled through mobile technology. Specialised applications synchronise with the audio track of a film playing in the theatre. These apps deliver audio descriptions and captions in the pauses between dialogues as well as a textual depiction of the dialogues and other auditory developments.AdvertisementYet, gaps remain. The recently released Guidelines for Accessibility of Content on platforms of Publishers of Online Curated Content (OTT platforms) provide a far longer compliance timeline. Under these rules, new OTT content must be born accessible only in a phased manner, three years after the guidelines come into force. This makes neither logical nor commercial sense.Nevertheless, the broader shift is undeniable. For millions of Indians with disabilities, cinema has long been a closed door. March 15 marks the day that the door begins to open.The writer is co-founder, Mission Accessibility