Major organisations from the Malayalam film industry will stage a protest on June 30 outside the regional office of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in Thiruvananthapuram, condemning what they describe as an “arbitrary and excessive” approach to film certification. The demonstration comes in the wake of the CBFC Revising Committee’s objection to the title and central character name of the upcoming courtroom drama JSK - Janaki v/s State of Kerala. The film, which stars Union Minister and actor Suresh Gopi alongside Anupama Parameswaran, was originally slated for release on June 27 but has been delayed following the board’s refusal to grant a final screening certificate.
Director Pravin Narayanan revealed via his official social media account that the CBFC’s revising committee has demanded not only the removal of the word “Janaki” from the title but also a change to the character’s name. The committee reportedly took issue with the fact that the character—a sexual assault survivor—shares her name with Janaki, a name associated with the Hindu goddess Sita. Despite the film, directed by Pravin Narayanan, previously receiving a U/A 13+ rating with no mandated cuts, the revising committee's latest intervention has halted its public release. The move has triggered outrage within the industry, with film bodies uniting in protest to defend artistic freedom and resist censorship rooted in religious sensitivities.
Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) General Secretary B Unnikrishnan criticised the decision as “arbitrary” and warned of the chilling effect it could have on the industry. “Several filmmakers and writers have contacted us already, expressing concern over whether they will be able to use culturally rooted names in their stories without facing backlash,” he said. The protest will include participation from FEFKA, the Kerala Film Producers’ Association, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), and the Directors’ Union. Renji Panicker, president of the Directors’ Union, expressed alarm over the broader implications. “Are we heading towards a situation where characters must be identified by numbers instead of names? Any name could be objected to, given India’s diverse religious landscape,” he remarked.
JSK – Janaki vs State of Kerala's makers had approached the Kerala High Court earlier, alleging undue delay by the CBFC in issuing a screening certificate. The film is produced by J Phanindra Kumar under the Cosmos Entertainments banner, with cinematography by Renadive, editing by Samjith Mohamed and music by Ghibran. It also features Madhav Suresh, Shruti Ramachandran, Divya Pillai, Askar Ali, Baiju Santhosh, Kottayam Ramesh and Shoby Thilakan.
