Janaki Vs State Of Kerala Title Row: Kerala High Court To Watch Suresh Gopi Starrer Amid Censorship Controversy

Following the Central Board of Film Certification's (CBFC) objection to grant certification to the Malayalam film Janaki vs State of Kerala, makers have moved Kerala High Court to oppose CBFC's insistence to change the name of the film's title as it has the name of Goddess Sita and also the name of the main character, who is a rape survivor. Directed by Pravin Narayanan, the film stars Union Minister Suresh Gopi and Anupama Parameswaran. The Kerala High Court will watch the film shortly, before passing any orders.

Kerala High Court to watch Janaki Vs State of Kerala

The Kerala High Court will watch Janaki Vs State of Kerala on July 7, 2025, at Lal Media in Palarivattom in Kochi, Kerala. As per a report in The Hindu, Justice N Nagaresh will watch the film alongside representatives from both the petitioner and the CBFC. "Considering the allegations in the petitions, I believe it is appropriate to watch the movie before arriving at a decision," said N Nagaresh.

The further hearing is on July 9, 2025.

What are CBFC's objections?

Earlier, during a hearing, Deputy Solicitor General of India (DSGI), who appeared for CBFC said that the film has 'mature content' which includes 'sexual violence against women and uses sexual language and words denoting women', and that's why they want the name 'Janaki' to be removed.

What the petition claimed

Cosmos Entertainment, the production house behind JSK: Janaki v/s State of Kerala, in its petition, mentioned that the film was submitted for certification on June 12, 2025, and the CBFC hasn’t raised any 'formal objection', till they found out about it through news reports.

It even stated that 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.

What did the Kerala High Court say?

Recently, at a hearing, Justice N Nagaresh slammed CBFC for its interference in artistic freedom.

"Now you will dictate to directors and artists which names they should use and which stories they should tell. What is wrong with Janaki? Janaki is not a rapist. If a rapist is named as Rama, Krishna, Janaki then I can understand. The heroine is fighting for justice, what is the problem with that name?" the judge had asked.