Why Is The Janaki vs State of Kerala Facing A Legal Trouble? Here’s All You Need To Know About Suresh Gopi’s Movie After CBFC Clearance

The Kerala High Court has officially closed the Janaki vs State of Kerala case, which questioned the delay surrounding clearance for the Malayalam film starring Union Minister Suresh Gopi.

This move came after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) finally approved the film, but only after the title was changed to Janaki V vs. State of Kerala.

What is The Janaki vs State of Kerala controversy? 

To be clear, the CBFC originally objected to the film’s title—Janaki v. State of Kerala—because “Janaki,” a name also associated with the Hindu goddess Sita, shouldn’t be used for a rape survivor portrayed in the movie.

The Board insisted the film would only get certified if the character’s full name—either Janaki V or V Janaki—was added to the title, and if the name “Janaki” was muted in a particular courtroom scene.

The Janaki vs State of Kerala Gets CBFC Clearance

The filmmakers agreed to these demands, and the CBFC issued its certificate on July 11. Now, Janaki V vs. State of Kerala is set for release on July 17.

Justice N Nagaresh, who viewed the film on July 5, noted that all objections had been addressed and closed the case. He clarified that the use of earlier promotional materials with the original title wouldn’t create legal issues for the producers.

The judge also remarked that there was no reason a rape survivor seeking justice couldn’t be named Janaki, and he criticized the CBFC for overreaching and interfering with creative freedom.

CBFC’s counsel, Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, told the court the Board initially called for 96 cuts but ultimately settled on two: the revised title and muting the character’s name during a cross-examination scene. The producers, represented by Advocate Haris Beeran, accepted these terms.

The film was originally planned for a June 27 release, but CBFC’s delay forced the producers to approach the Kerala High Court after their certification request—filed on June 12—went unanswered. 

In its affidavit, the CBFC said its concerns were not just about the name “Janaki,” but also about how the character was depicted. The Board pointed out that the character’s traumatic experiences and the sensitive nature of certain scenes—especially with characters from different religions—could potentially hurt religious sentiments and cause communal unrest.

With the required changes in place and certification granted, Janaki V vs. State of Kerala—also starring Anupama Parameswaran—will finally release on Thursday.

The Janaki vs State of Kerala: Cast and Director

Janaki V v/s State of Kerala, also known as JSK, is a forthcoming Malayalam legal drama crafted by writer-director Pravin Narayanan.

The film features Suresh Gopi and Anupama Parameswaran in leading roles. J. Phanindra Kumar produces under the Cosmos Entertainments banner, with Sethuraman Nair Kankol serving as co-producer.

Suresh Gopi takes on the role of Advocate David Abel Donovan. Anupama Parameswaran portrays Janaki Vidhyadharan.

The cast also includes Madhav Suresh as Naveen Mathews, Shruthi Ramachandran as Advocate Niveditha Able, Divya Pillai as Saira Fathima, Askar Ali as Firoz Mohammad, Baiju Santhosh as S.I. Kanakaraj, Shobi Thilakan as C.I. Gopakumar, Jayan Cherthala as Public Prosecutor 1, Kottayam Ramesh as Public Prosecutor 2, and Joy Mathew as the Priest.

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