The release of Malayalam movie JSK-Janaki vs. State of Kerala, starring Union Minister and actor Suresh Gopi and Anupama Parameswaran, has been stalled following a demand from the Censor Board for Film Certification (CBFC) to change the film's title. JSK was supposed to release in theatres on June 27, 2025.
Why is Janaki vs State of Kerala release stalled?
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, as per reports.
The change in the film's title will also affect many dialogues in the film as the name has to be changed in the dialogues as well.
On Saturday, in a Facebook post, director Pravin Narayanan also confirmed that the censor board has refused certification to the film. "There will be no release on June 27," he wrote.
What has Film Employees Federation of Kerala said?
B Unnikrishnan, general secretary of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), addressing the issue publicly on Sunday, told reporters in Kochi that the makers of the JSK were clearly informed by the CBFC that the name Sita cannot be used in the movie.
He said, "They have not received any written information in this regard. A show-cause notice is yet to be received. They expect to get it by Monday."
"The CBFC clearly stated to the film’s crew that the name Sita cannot be used either in the title or for the character in the movie. The story is about the legal fight carried out by an assaulted woman against the state. It is said (by the Board) that Goddess Sita’s name cannot be given to the woman character who suffered assault," he added.
Unnikrishnan also said another Malayalam filmmaker also faced a similar issue over the name of a character in his film. His character Janaki was forced to change to Jayanthi by the censor board.
The FEFKA secretary called the board's action "strange", and said, "filmmakers are even denied the freedom to give the characters in their films the names of their choice."
