Latest news with #JSK–Janaki
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
JSK movie producers agree to title modification, two cuts
Kochi: Legal battle over the movie title 'JSK – Janaki v/s State of Kerala' came to an end in Kerala high court on Wednesday, with the film's production company agreeing to CBFC's suggestions for two modifications, including adding the lead character's initial and rephrasing the title as 'JSK – Janaki V v/s State of Kerala'. The second modification will be the muting or editing of the name 'Janaki' in two scenes. The bench of Justice N Nagaresh accordingly directed the petitioners, Cosmos Entertainments, to submit the film's modified version for certification and instructed CBFC to issue a censor certificate within three days of submission. HC adjourned the matter to Wednesday. The production company had approached HC seeking a directive to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to issue a censor certificate to the Suresh Gopi-starrer Malayalam movie within a stipulated time frame, as it was originally scheduled for release on June 27. Meanwhile, CBFC maintained that the title and the lead character's name had to be changed, as using the name Janaki, another name for Goddess Sita, violated Guideline 2(12) of the film certification rules, which prohibits visuals or words contemptuous of racial, religious, or other groups. The board had also proposed 96 cuts in the film, including all instances of the word Janaki. Following the last hearing on July 2, Justice Nagaresh watched the movie at a private studio in Kochi on July 5. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top Public Speaking Course for Children Planet Spark Book Now Undo During the hearing on Wednesday morning, Adv Abhinav Chandrachud, appearing for CBFC, reiterated the board's suggestion seeking two changes –– adding the initial 'V' to the lead character's name in the title since her father's character is named Vidyadharan and muting or substituting the word Janaki in two scenes. Adv Haris Beeran, the petitioner's counsel, sought time to get instructions from his client, and HC adjourned the matter to 1:45pm. In the post-lunch session, Beeran informed court that while the petitioners were willing to accept the muting of the name in the two scenes, altering the title would cause significant financial strain due to the need for fresh promotional work. HC then suggested including a disclaimer at the movie's beginning, clarifying that the character Janaki bears no religious association. However, Chandrachud insisted on the inclusion of the initial V in the title. HC then adjourned the matter again to 3pm. When the hearing resumed, Beeran informed HC that the petitioners were now willing to accept both modifications suggested by CBFC.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Kerala high court to watch ‘JSK' on Saturday amid certification dispute
Kochi: Kerala high court will watch the Suresh Gopi-starrer 'JSK – Janaki vs State of Kerala' in connection with petitions challenging the order of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) directing a change in its title and the name of its lead character 'Janaki'. The bench of Justice N Nagaresh, while considering a petition by the film's production company Cosmos Entertainments, decided to watch the movie at Lal Media, Palarivattom, Kochi, at 10am on Saturday. The court adjourned the petitions to next Wednesday for further hearing. The petitioner had approached HC seeking a directive to CBFC to issue the censor certificate within a specified time to enable the film's release. In response, the board referred the film to its revising committee, which subsequently recommended changing the film's title and the name of the lead character. The production company then filed a second petition challenging this decision. The film, directed by Pravin Narayanan and also starring Anupama Parameswaran, is reportedly centred on the legal battle of an assaulted woman against the state. CBFC has maintained that the use of the name 'Janaki', another name for Goddess Sita, violates Guideline 2(12) for film certification, which prohibits visuals or words that are contemptuous of racial, religious or other groups. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud appeared for CBFC and sought additional time to file a reply to the second petition. Advocate Haris Beeran, counsel for the petitioner, requested that both petitions be heard together. The court granted Chandrachud's request and adjourned the matter to next Wednesday. It also directed the petitioner to arrange necessary facilities to screen the film for the court. As the petitioner cited practical difficulties in conducting the screening in the courtroom, the court allowed the screening to be held in a studio instead. Chandrachud also requested that the film be screened at the CBFC office in Mumbai, as he is currently based there, and the court directed him to consult CBFC officials regarding the request. At the previous hearing, the court had severely criticised the CBFC's objection to the use of the name 'Janaki' for the film's title or its lead character, asking how it could be considered contemptuous to any racial, religious, or other group. "What is wrong with the name Janaki? Why should the petitioner change the title? Give a reason. Do you dictate to directors and artists which titles they should use or what stories they should tell?," it had asked.
The Hindu
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
JSK – Janaki Vs State of Kerala row: Kerala High Court to watch film on July 5
The Kerala High Court is set to watch the Malayalam film JSK – Janaki Vs State of Kerala starring Union Minister Suresh Gopi, for which the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has not issued censor certificate yet, on Saturday (July 7, 2025). The court said it would first watch the movie before passing any orders. Justice N. Nagaresh will watch the movie at 10 a.m. at Lal Media, Palarivattom. The film's production company Cosmos Entertainments, which is the petitioner, had requested that the court watch the film. Justice N. Nagaresh stated that a representative of both the petitioner and the CBFC, or their counsel, be present during the screening. 'Considering the allegations in the petitions, I believe it is appropriate to watch the movie before arriving at a decision,' he added. The court had on Monday termed the CBFC's revising committee seeking a change of the name 'Janaki' in the title and of the protagonist 'a challenge to the freedom of creative expression.' Justifying the demand for the change of name, the board's counsel had contended that the character Janaki in the film is sexually assaulted. To this, the counsel for the petitioner argued that the character Janaki who is portrayed in the film is 'a fighter for justice.' He said the CBFC had not cited any problem with 'Janaki' in the title earlier this year when its trailer was released. 'The same board had also issued a censor certificate to a film by name 'Janaki Jaane,' he pointed out. The court observed that 'the character is a victim who is fighting for justice, and is not an accused. Moreover, In India, a good share of names are either of gods and goddesses or have similarities with their names.' The case has been posted for hearing on July 8.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Do you want to dictate character names and storylines, Kerala HC asks censor board
Kochi: Kerala high court on Monday pulled up the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for objecting to the use of the name 'Janaki' in a film's title or as the name of its lead character, asking how it could be considered contemptuous to any racial, religious or other group. The court was hearing a petition filed by Cosmos Entertainments, the producer of the Malayalam movie 'JSK – Janaki v/s State of Kerala', seeking a directive to CBFC to issue the censor certificate in a time-bound manner. The petitioner contended that the film tells the story of a rape survivor named Janaki, who fights for justice. However, the board issued an order requiring the title of the film and the name of the lead character, 'Janaki', to be changed wherever it appeared, as a condition for certification. Meanwhile, the CBFC maintained that the use of the name 'Janaki', another name for the goddess Sita, violates Guideline 2(12) for film certification, which prohibits visuals or words that are contemptuous of racial, religious or other groups. During hearing, Justice N Nagaresh observed that the reason cited by the board, that the title violates the certification guidelines, appeared prima facie unsustainable. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cardiologists: 1 Teaspoon of This Before Bed Melts Belly Fat Like Crazy Hollywood News | USA Click Here The court orally asked: "What is wrong with the name Janaki? Why should the petitioner change the title? Give a reason. Do you dictate to directors and artists which titles they should use or what stories they should tell?" The court further observed that in India, a large proportion of personal names are drawn from religion, be it Hindu, Christian or Muslim traditions, and cited examples such as Ahammed, Antony, Krishnan and Kesavan. Nearly 80% of names, it noted, have religious connotations. It further remarked that naming characters is part of artistic freedom, and the CBFC cannot interfere with that. Although the CBFC's counsel submitted that this freedom is not absolute, the court responded that the board had failed to provide a convincing explanation as to how the name 'Janaki' could be considered contemptuous to any group. The bench also observed that "In the movie, Janaki is a heroine fighting for justice. She is not a rapist. If a rapist was named Rama, Krishna or Janaki, then we might understand. At least then, there could be an argument that divine names should not be used." Accordingly, the court directed the CBFC to file a statement by Wednesday clearly explaining why the name 'Janaki' cannot be used and remarked that the matter cannot be adjourned indefinitely. Notably, Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas, Suresh Gopi, stars in the movie, which falls within the courtroom drama genre. 'CBFC Order Issued Without Applying Mind' During hearing, CBFC submitted the order of its revising committee, which also directed the producer to change the film's title and the lead character's name. The petitioner alleged that the order was issued without applying their mind. He pointed out that the final paragraph of the order stated that if the petitioner disagreed with the revising committee's decision, they could approach the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT). He noted, however, that the FCAT had been abolished in 2021 through an ordinance. The petitioner also submitted that in 2023, the CBFC had certified another Malayalam film titled 'Janaki Jane', and argued that this undermined the current objection. The petitioner requested HC to view the film before the next hearing, but the bench declined the request. It was brought to the court's notice that the Bombay High Court had previously screened the film 'Jolly LLB' in the courtroom during a related case. However, HC stated that it was not necessary in this matter.
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Revision committee of CBFC likely to decide on Janaki vs State of Kerala on June 26
Close on the heels of the producer firm of the Malayalam feature film JSK – Janaki vs State of Kerala approaching the Kerala High Court alleging delay by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in issuing a censor certificate for the film, the censor board's revision committee is expected to announce its decision on the movie on Thursday. The High Court will issue a directive based on the decision of the censor board. Objection to name The producer firm had on Tuesday sought a court directive to the CBFC to process and issue the censor certificate in a time-bound manner. The firm contended that it had submitted an application in this regard on June 12. But the CBFC has not issued the certificate or raised any formal objection, allegedly due to informal and oral objections to the film's title and the character name 'Janaki', despite having earlier issued a censor certificate for the teaser of the film. This delay is arbitrary and amounts to violation of the petitioner's fundamental rights under Article 19 of the Constitution, the firm said in its petition. The worldwide release of the film was scheduled for June 27 and any further delay in issuing the certificate would cause irreparable financial and reputational loss, the firm said.
