'Janaki vs State of Kerala': Kerala film bodies protest against censor board's move
The release of the Malayalam movie Janaki vs State of Kerala starring Union Minister and superstar Suresh Gopi has been stalled following a demand from the censor board for a name change. As per the film's makers, the board asked them to change the name Janaki, saying it also refers to the Hindu goddess Sita.
The film tells the story of a woman who faced assault and took a legal fight against the state. The board reportedly said that god's name should not be given to a woman who was assaulted. The film's release was scheduled for June 20. Union Minister Suresh Gopi is yet to react to the controversy.
The regional office of CBFC in Thiruvananthapuram had cleared the film with a U/A certificate. The film was later forwarded to the CBFC headquarters in Mumbai, where officials demanded a change in the title. If the film's title is changed, many dialogues in the film mentioning the name will also need to be changed.
B Unnikrishnan, president of FEFKA, told the media, "It needs to be opposed not only by the artistes but everybody who is committed to the cause of the country's diversity, dedicated to the country's art and culture ... I think Suresh Gopi should learn from this experience of his own. Suresh Gopi is now not only a film actor but also a minister here, and he should understand how his government is dealing with the cinema, with the culture, with the poetry, with all creativity."
Binoy Viswam, CPI state secretary, said, "This protest was triggered by the recent incident of CBFC asking to remove Janaki from the title of the film. They have also demanded that the protagonist's name should be changed from Janaki to something else..."
Producers of Janaki Vs State of Kerala starring Union Minister Suresh Gopi and directed by Pravin Narayanan have approached the Kerala High Court regarding the alleged unofficial directive from the CBFC.
However, Unnikrishnan said the film, according to its director, does not contain any specific religious reference or allusions."
The FEFKA general secretary also expressed disappointment with the alleged "random takes" on films from the last couple of years. He said that they are ready to address and discuss such a problem with the authorities and the government.
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