After weeks of uncertainty as the film became embroiled in controversy over its title and the name of its central character, the Malayalam legal drama Janaki V v/s State of Kerala (formerly titled Janaki v/s State of Kerala and also marketed as JSK) is finally set to hit screens, with a new release date almost a month later than initially announced. This update came after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) granted JSK a U/A 16+ rating (unrestricted public exhibition, but with parental guidance for children below the age of 16).
While the film was initially scheduled for release on June 20, it was first postponed by a week to June 27. However, even as the new date approached, the CBFC did not grant clearance to the movie, demanding that the makers remove the name Janaki — also the name of the Hindu Goddess Sita — from the title and the dialogues. The matter eventually reached the Kerala High Court.
Only in SCREEN | Janaki v/s State of Kerala: Janaki is everywhere. But only CBFC sees a problem
Following an intense legal battle in which the High Court strongly criticised the CBFC, the censor board informed the court it was ready to issue a certificate if the producers agreed to change the title from Janaki to V Janaki. In a desperate attempt to release the film, the makers agreed, slightly rechristening it as Janaki V v/s State of Kerala. In addition to the title change, it was agreed that the name Janaki would be muted in two instances in the film. Notably, after the court’s intervention, the CBFC climbed down from its original demands and reduced the required changes to two, down from the staggering 96 it had initially insisted on, prompting the producers to meet the board halfway.
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After the necessary edits were made, the film was resubmitted for certification, following which the CBFC issued the U/A 16+ rating. Post the clearance, the makers announced that JSK will release worldwide on July 17. Starring Suresh Gopi, who also serves as the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and is the BJP MP from the Thrissur constituency in Kerala, alongside Anupama Parameswaran, Divya Pillai, Shruti Ramachandran, Askar Ali, Madhav Suresh Gopi and Baiju Santhosh in key roles, JSK is written and directed by Pravin Narayanan.
