‘Now you'll dictate to directors which names they should use…': Kerala HC to censor board amid row over ‘Janaki' in film title

Indian Express

a day ago

The Kerala High Court Monday asked whether the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is dictating the names and stories of the movies now.
On the second day of hearing of the petition of producers of Suresh Gopi-starrer movie 'JSK: Janaki vs State of Kerala', which was denied certificate over the name Janaki, another name for Goddess Sita, the bench of Justice N Nagaresh directed Deputy Solicitor General of India (DSGI) O M Shalina, who appeared for the CBFC, to submit an affidavit on July 2, detailing the reasons for not issuing the screening certificate to the film.
On Monday, the DSGI told the court that film name Janaki refers to the Hindu goddess Sita, and the petitioners can use a neutral name for their film. The CBFC also submitted that the title of the film violates the guidelines issued by the Union Government in conformity with the Section 5B(2) of the Cinematograph Act, which deals with certifying films.
At this stage, the court asked, 'Now you will dictate to directors and artists which names they should use and which stories they should tell. What is wrong with Janaki? How is it contemptuous of a religion? … That is the freedom of artists.''
The court said 80 per cent of the names in India have religious connotations and that the CBFC cannot dictate which name should be given or which story should be told.
Observing that the board has no right to interfere with the story of a film, the court directed the CBFC to give a convincing answer how the name Janaki amounted contemptuous to racial, religious or other groups.
When the petitioner said the film is about the fight of a rape survivor and Janaki is the name of the protagonist, the court wondered, 'Janaki is not a rapist. If a rapist is named as Rama, Krishna, Janaki, then I can understand. The heroine is fighting for justice, what is the problem with that name?''
Rajya Sabha MP and advocate Haris Beeran, who appeared for the producers, said the teaser of the film has been certified by the CBFC. The teaser was released three months back and so far no complaints had emerged related to the title Janaki, he pointed out.
'Has anyone complained about the name Janaki? Whose sentiments are being hurt? Has anyone actually raised an objection?' the judge asked.
Following opposition to the CBFC regional office's first demand for a change in the title of the film, the matter was taken up by the Revising Committee of the board, which also called for the name change. On Friday, while hearing the petition, the court had directed the CBFC to furnish the show cause notice the CBFC had served on the film producers, Cosmos Entertainments.
The case will be taken up again on Wednesday. The Pravin Narayanan-directed film, also starring Anupama Parameswaran in the lead role, reportedly revolves around the legal battle of an assaulted woman named Janaki against the state.