The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has informed the Kerala High Court that it is opposed to the character by name ‘Janaki’ (which is another name for Goddess Sita) being shown as subjected to rape and also being aggressively cross-examined by a lawyer from another religion, who poses many humiliating questions to her, to name a few instances, as among the reasons for not issuing censor certificate for the movie JSK – Janaki Vs State of Kerala.
The Board’s affidavit says the petition filed by the film production company fails to appreciate that films are evaluated in their entirety, rather than in isolation. It also fails to understand that the right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 of the Constitution is not absolute, and is subject to reasonable restrictions.
The certification process, therefore, represents a careful balance between creative freedom and regulatory oversight. The title and the lead character of the film have a religious connotation and will have a tendency to cause public disorder, since they are named after Goddess Janaki (Sita), who holds profound religious significance in the Ramayana.
Justifying the CBFC’s demand for the change of name, board’s counsel contended that the character Janaki in the film was depicted as a rape survivor. Moreover, permitting such films for public exhibition would set a dangerous precedent and open a pandora’s box for future productions. This would undermine religious sentiments across communities and pose a serious threat to public order.
In the meantime, the production company of the film, agreed to change the name ‘Janaki’ in the film as ‘Janaki V’, in adherence to the suggestion by the CBFC. The movie would thus be rechristened as Janaki V. Vs State of Kerala. It also agreed to the recommendation to either mute the reference to the name ‘Janaki’ or chose an alternative name at two instances in the film.
The CBFC said it would issue the censor certificate within three days of the producer firm submitting the film in its revised form. The Bench of Justice N. Nagaresh posted the case for hearing on July 16.
Justice Nagaresh had watched the movie on Saturday, based on a request by Cosmos Entertainments, the film’s production company.
Published – July 09, 2025 08:11 pm IST
