Janaki Vs State Of Kerala Row: Malayalam Film Fraternity To Protest Before CBFC Office In Kerala

The release of the Malayalam film JSK-Janaki vs State of Kerala, featuring Union Minister and actor Suresh Gopi and Anupama Parameswaran, has been halted following a directive from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). It is reportedly due to the board's demand to change the film's title. The film was supposed to hit theatres on June 27.

As per the latest report in PTI, several Malayalam film personalities of various movie organisations will protest outside the office of the Central Board of Film Certfication (CBFC) on Monday, June 30, to object the board's decision to decline certification to the film.

Malayalam film fraternity to protest against CBFC

On Friday, the Film Employees Federation of Kerala's (FEFKA) general secretary B Unnikrishnan told reporters that the entire film industry will join the protest before the CBFC office in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

He called the censor board's decision "arbitrary", and also wondered why it was suggested to change the title, after the film was cleared by the regional panel of the censor board.

"We fail to understand the criterion behind such a decision," he added.

Unnikrishnan also revealed that earlier, director M B Padmakumar’s film, Token Number was released, only after changing the name of its female protagonist from Janaki to Jayanthi.

He also went on to say that the teaser and trailer of JSK, cleared by the censor board, were being played in the theatres for the last one month. "We do not know if it has created any communal disharmony," he said.

Pravin Narayanan, the writer and director of the Malayalam film, in his Facebook post on Thursday, confirmed that the revising committee members not only want them to change the movie's title but also the name of the central character.

What is Janaki vs State of Kerala controversy?

The censor board reportedly objected to ‘Janaki’ as it refers to Hindu goddess Sita. As per the makers, CBFC has asked them to change the name ‘Janaki’. The board reportedly said that God’s name should not be given to a woman who was assaulted.

The film has been cleared with a U/A certificate, by the regional office of CBFC in Thiruvananthapuram but when it was forwarded to the Mumbai office, they demanded the change in the title.

Makers of Janaki Vs State of Kerala moves Kerala HC against delay

Cosmos Entertainment, the production house behind JSK: Janaki v/s State of Kerala, filed a petition in Kerala High Court, against the delay in certification. As per the petition, the continued delay in the release is causing the makers financial loss and violating their rights under Article 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution.

As per a report in Live Law, during a hearing, the high court questioned the censor board over objection to the use of name 'Janaki' in the film. "We have cinemas issued in the name 'Seeta Aur Geeta'. Janaki is Seeta. Nothing happened. No problem. Nobody has any complaint. We have film named 'Ram Lakhan'. Nobody has any complaint. Then how come for Janaki there is a complaint?", Justice N. Nagaresh asked Deputy Solicitor General of India (DSGI), who appeared for CBFC.