CBFC Halts Release Of 'Janaki Vs State of Kerala' Over Title Row Involving Goddess' Name

The release of the Malayalam film 'Janaki vs State of Kerala', featuring Union Minister and actor Suresh Gopi, has been halted following a directive from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to change the film's title.

According to the filmmakers, the board objected to the use of the name 'Janaki', as it is also associated with the Hindu goddess Sita.

The film centres on a woman who survives sexual assault and pursues legal action against the state.

Reportedly, the CBFC stated that a deity's name should not be assigned to a woman who has been assaulted. The film had been slated for release on 27 June. Suresh Gopi has not yet responded to the controversy.

While the CBFC's regional office in Thiruvananthapuram initially cleared the film with a U/A certificate, it was later referred to the board's headquarters in Mumbai, where officials demanded a change to the title.

If the title is altered, numerous scenes and dialogues referencing the character's name would also need to be revised.

The Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) strongly condemned the board's stance, stating they would stage protests if the demand to alter the title is upheld.

Director MB Padmakumar claimed that his upcoming film 'Token Number' faced a similar issue.

The film received certification recently after he complied with the board's instruction to change the character's name from Janaki to Jayanthi.

"My film was censored on May 22. On the 23rd, I got to know about the demand. My character's name is Janaki Abraham. The film was cleared by the Trivandrum office, but since it's a feature film, they sent it to Mumbai office and then a demand was kept that the name be changed. It was informed unofficially. They were making WhatsApp calls. They had a problem with the relationship between Janaki and Abraham as well. I don't think the central government is aware of this. If they had this agenda, they could have sent the film to the revised committee. This could be the thought of the officials," Padmakumar said.