Tamil Closed Captioning Services
Same-language Tamil closed captions in Tamil script for Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences, delivered for CBFC certification, DCP and OTT, and playing in any cinema on KinoSync.
Tamil cinema and accessibility
Tamil cinema is one of the largest film industries in the country, with big-budget action releases that open across India and in Singapore, Malaysia and the UK on the same weekend. Those international markets already expect accessible screenings for major releases. A Tamil feature with same-language audio description and captions meets the CBFC requirement at home and the expectations abroad with one set of deliverables.
Tamil is spoken across Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia, and the Tamil diaspora worldwide, and a Tamil release now needs same-language closed captions and audio description for CBFC certification. One Tamil film already plays with closed captionson KinoSync, in ordinary cinemas, on the audience member's own phone.
Tamil closed captions: what changes
Tamil script produces long words and long compound forms, which push caption line length and reading speed harder than most Indian scripts. We set the characters-per-line and duration rules for Tamil specifically, test the font on the delivery display so vowel signs and conjuncts render cleanly, and condense where a literal transcript would not be readable in the time on screen.
Same-language Tamil captions for Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences carry speaker labels, sound cues written in Tamil and full song lyrics timed to the vocal. We can supply English or other-language subtitle tracks alongside for international release, conformed to each platform's specification and checked against picture.
Closed captions for CBFC certification
Under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's accessibility guidelines for feature films (issued 15 March 2024) and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules 2024, feature films submitted for CBFC certification from 15 March 2026 must carry closed captions and audio description. The files are uploaded with the certification application, and the CBFC checks that they are present before the certificate is issued. A missing track means a withheld certificate and a delayed release. Regional-office practice varies in the details, so we confirm the exact submission format with your censor agent at briefing.
The requirement is for same-language closed captions, which is where most productions get caught out. A Hindi film that already has English subtitles for overseas release still needs Hindi captions in Devanagari for certification, because English subtitles serve a different audience and omit the speaker labels and sound cues that make captions usable by Deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. We produce the same-language caption file for certification and can deliver the English or other-language subtitle tracks alongside it.
- Same-language captions in the film's own script: Devanagari, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Kannada or Malayalam
- Speaker labels, sound cues and full song lyrics, so the whole soundtrack is represented
- Delivered as the file the certification upload requires, with the matching audio description
- English and other-language subtitle tracks for OTT and international release from the same transcript
Working back from the certification date
Typical durations for a feature-length film from locked picture. Dates are confirmed at briefing.
- 1Locked picture and briefDay 0We need the locked edit with timecode, the dialogue script and song lyrics, and the list of platforms and formats the file must serve.
- 2Transcription and timing5 to 7 working daysDialogue is transcribed by a native speaker, sound cues and lyrics added, and captions timed and condensed to the language's reading-speed rules.
- 3Style check and review1 to 2 working daysTransliteration choices, speaker labels and dialect spellings are checked against the agreed style guide; you review the file.
- 4Conform and QC2 to 3 working daysFiles are built to each target specification, fonts verified on the delivery display, and every caption checked against picture.
- 5DeliveryAbout 2 weeks from locked pictureTypical for a feature with one same-language track. Each additional subtitle language adds a few days; we confirm dates at briefing.
Delivery specification
| Same-language captions | Verbatim or lightly condensed captions in the film's script, with speaker labels, sound cues and full song lyrics |
|---|---|
| Timing rules | Reading speed and characters per line set per language and script; maximum two lines; breaks at natural phrase points and shot changes |
| File formats | SRT, WebVTT, TTML / IMSC1, SCC, EBU-STL, and DCP timed text (SMPTE or Interop XML) via your lab |
| Cinema | Timed-text track for your DCP, and a synced KinoSync track for any screening |
| OTT and broadcast | Caption and subtitle files to each platform's specification, including style guides for Netflix, Prime Video, JioHotstar, ZEE5 and Sony LIV |
| CBFC | Same-language caption file in the form required for the certification upload, supplied with the audio description |
| Translated subtitles | English and other-language subtitle tracks from the same transcript, timed to the same cues |
How we work
- 1TranscribeWe transcribe dialogue and identify meaningful sounds.
- 2Time & formatCaptions are timed for comfortable reading and clean breaks.
- 3ConformFiles are built to your platform's exact technical spec.
- 4QC & deliverWe check against picture and deliver delivery-ready files.
Tamil films with Closed Captions on KinoSync
Every Tamil title below plays with closed captions on the KinoSync app in any cinema showing it. Open a film to see the tracks it carries.
Closed Captioning in other Indian languages
Each language page is backed by films already delivered on KinoSync.
Frequently asked
Are your Tamil captions written by native speakers?
Yes. Tamil captions are transcribed and timed by native Tamil speakers in Tamil script, with a style guide for transliteration, speaker labels and sound cues agreed with you before timing begins.
Which Tamil films already have closed captions on KinoSync?
One Tamil film currently plays with closed captions on KinoSync: Shatak: Sangh Ke 100 Varsh. Each has its own page on this site with the tracks it carries, and the track plays in any cinema showing the film.
Does Tamil closed captions satisfy the CBFC requirement for a Tamil film?
Yes. The certification requirement is for same-language accessibility files, so a Tamil feature needs Tamil closed captions in Tamil script. We deliver the file in the form required for the certification upload, together with the audio description file, and confirm the submission format with your censor agent.
How do Tamil-speaking audiences get the track in a cinema?
Through KinoSync. The Tamil closed captions track is published on the KinoSync app and plays on the viewer's own phone, synced to the screening, in any cinema showing the film. Theatres install nothing and there is no separate accessible showing.