Malayalam film industry workers staged a protest on Monday against the Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) demand to remove the name Janaki from the title of Suresh Gopi-Anupama Parameswaran's upcoming film Janaki v/s State of Kerala (JSK) and to rename the central character. The protest, held in front of the Regional Censor Board office at the Chitranjali Studio Complex in Thiruvananthapuram, was jointly organised by Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), and the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA). Film stars, directors, producers, and technicians participated.
As a symbolic gesture, scissors were thrown into a dustbin, with FEFKA General Secretary B Unnikrishnan declaring that “scissors that do not respect artistic freedom belong in the dustbin.” The act followed his call of “Start, action, no cut” in defiance of perceived censorship overreach. Participants carried placards reading “Fight against the Censor Board’s denial of justice, protect freedom of expression,” and chanted slogans defending creative rights.
Thudarum producer M Ranjith, representing KFPA, criticised the move, noting that the film’s lead actor is a central minister well aware of film laws. AMMA representative Jayan Cherthala questioned the logic of demanding changes after promotional materials had been released. Actor and AMMA office bearer Ansiba Hasaan denounced the introduction of religion and identity politics into censorship decisions. Actor Indrans also joined the protest, expressing solidarity.
