Janaki vs. State of Kerala, release blocked; CBFC demands name change.

The courtroom thriller starring Suresh Gopi and Anupama Parameswaran had received a U/A 13+ with no cuts earlier. The release of the Malayalam film ‘Janaki vs State of Kerala’ has been halted due to the CBFC, the Central Board of Film Certification, denying screening permission, citing issues with the film’s title.

According to the director Pravin Narayanan, the certification board has demanded the name of the movie be changed. Stating issues with using the name ‘Janaki.’ As a result, the scheduled release of 27th June, 2025, has been postponed. The courtroom thriller had previously received a U/A 13+ without any cuts. However, the CBFC later denied the film screening. Set against the backdrop of Kerala’s legal system, the movie follows Janaki, a woman who seeks justice following a traumatic event.

Represented by a powerful lawyer, played by Suresh Gopi, the film centers on the themes of justice, truth, and courage. Narayanan revealed on social media that the movie will not be released this Friday as scheduled. After years of mostly working in Tamil and Telugu films, actress Anupama Parameswaran is making a return to Malayalam cinema with J. Phaneendra Kumar's JSK, which is produced by Cosmos Entertainment in collaboration with Karthik Creations. The star-studded cast of the movie includes Suresh Gopi, Anupama Parameswaran, Joy Mathew, Jayan Cherthala, Baiju Santhosh, and Askar Ali.