JSK – Janaki vs State of Kerala row: Malayalam film bodies to protest before CBFC office in Kerala capital

Various film bodies in the Malayalam movie industry will stage a protest in front of the regional office of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) at Thiruvananthapuram on June 30, 2025 in protest against the “arbitrary film certification” adopted by the board. The day-long protest was decided after the CBFC’s revising committee demanded the makers of the film JSK - Janaki vs State of Kerala to change the title of the film as well as the name of the protagonist.

The representatives of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), Kerala Film Producers’ Association, Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (MAA) will be among those who will be participating in the protest on Monday, said B. Unnikrishnan, general secretary of FEFKA, here on Friday.

He termed the revising committee’s decision as “arbitrary” and one that may have far-reaching consequences in the way forward for the cinema industry. Already, filmmakers and writers who are working on various projects have contacted us expressing their concern over the board’s decision, he said.

The revising committee is learnt to have demanded a change in the title as well as the name of the titular character of Janaki, apparently because the name also refers to the Hindu goddess Sita. It was conveyed to the makers through unofficial channels that the victim of a sexual assault cannot be named after a goddess.

The revising committee had met after the makers of the film approached the Kerala High Court alleging delay by the CBFC in issuing a censor certificate to the film.

Long-term solution sought

Mr. Unnikrishnan said that “a long-term solution” was required to clear the confusion over the guidelines prescribed by the board. Many films released earlier in Malayalam had characters with the name ‘Janaki’. A question on what change has happened between then and now on keeping such a name has to be addressed, he said.

Renji Panicker, president of the Directors’ Union affiliated to the FEFKA, said that a situation may emerge when the characters have to be “given numbers instead of names.”

“Any name given to a character in a movie can be disputed as it may be connected to a religion. The political parties cannot stay away from addressing such a serious issue,” he said.

Release delayed

The release of the movie JSK – Janaki vs State of Kerala, starring Union Minister Suresh Gopi that was initially planned on June 27, has been delayed owing to the ongoing row.