Janaki V vs State of Kerala Vs CBFC Controversy Ends With Compromise, Suresh Gopi Starrer Malayalam Courtroom Drama To Release Tomorrow

The controversy over the denial of censor certification for the Suresh Gopi-starrer Janaki vs State of Kerala has been resolved, with the makers agreeing to change the film's title. The movie has now been titled Janaki V vs State of Kerala (JSK), with the addition of an initial to the name Janaki. Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday closed a plea challenging the delay in issuing a censor certificate for the release of a Malayalam film starring Union Minister Suresh Gopi.

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The original title was rejected by the revising committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), despite having been cleared by the regional panel, because Janaki is a synonym for Goddess Sita. Following the title change, the movie has been certified by the CBFC and cleared for release on July 17. Janaki V vs State of Kerala (JSK) has been granted U/A 16+ by the censor board.  

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Justice N Nagaresh, while closing the plea, clarified that the use of earlier teasers or promotional materials with the earlier film title will not make the film's producers liable for any legal action. “It is submitted that the petitioner has submitted modified version of the movie and Central Board of Film Certification has issued certificate on 11.07.2025. The prime grievance of the petitioner now stands redressed," Justice V said.

CBFC had earlier proposed 96 cuts to the film, and later only sought two specific changes, which were made by the makers. The censor board raised objections to the name Janaki, which is also used to denote the Hindu goddess Sita, was being used to refer to a rape survivor in the film. Later, the CBFC agreed to certify the film if the filmmakers added the film-character's full name 'Janaki V' or 'V Janaki' in the title, and if the name 'Janaki' is muted during a courtroom scene. These changes have been made in the film. The movie will release in Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. Suresh Gopi, the lead actor in the movie, also announced the release of Janaki V vs State of Kerala (JSK) with new title in the posters.