Janaki v/s State of Kerala
| Janaki v/s State of Kerala | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Pravin Narayanan |
| Written by | Pravin Narayanan |
| Produced by | J. Phanindra Kumar |
| Starring | Suresh Gopi Anupama Parameswaran Shruthi Ramachandran Madhav Suresh |
| Cinematography | Renadive |
| Edited by | Samjith Mohammed |
| Music by | BGM & Rise From Fire Ghibran Gireesh Narayanan |
Production company | Cosmos Entertainments |
| Distributed by | Dream Big Films |
Running time | 154 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Janaki v/s State of Kerala (abbreviated as JSK) is an upcoming Indian Malayalam-language courtroom drama film written and directed by Pravin Narayanan. The film stars Suresh Gopi and Anupama Parameswaran in the lead roles.[2][3] It is produced by J. Phanindra Kumar under the banner of Cosmos Entertainments, with Sethuraman Nair Kankol as co-producer.[4][5][6]
Plot
Set against the backdrop of Kerala's judicial system, the story follows Janaki (played by Anupama Parameswaran), a woman who seeks justice after a traumatic event. Suresh Gopi plays the senior advocate representing her in court. The film explores themes of justice, truth, and individual resilience.[7]
Cast
- Suresh Gopi as Advocate David Abel Donovan[8]
- Anupama Parameswaran as Janaki
- Madhav Suresh as Naveen Varghese
- Shruthi Ramachandran as Adv. 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
- Joy Mathew as Priest
- Jose Shonadhri as Samuel John
- Dini Daniel as Doctor Elizabeth Mamen
- Balaji Sharma as Shivaprasad Eloor
- Nishthar Sait as Mla Antony
- Yadu Krishnan as Mathayus Baby
- Dilip Menon as Vidhyadaran Pilla
- Shafeer Khan as Venu Chittappan ( Venugopal )
- Manjusree Nair as Chitta
- Vaishnavi Raj as Lakshmi
- Medha Pallavi as Rakshita Shetty
- Ratheesh Krishnan as Tony Thomas
- Jai Vishnu as Anand Muralidhran
- Rajith Menon as Venket
- Abhishek Ravindran as Vishnu Kurup
- Musthafa Sargam as Manohar
- Aswin Gopi Nath as Bakery Staff (Chottu)
- Akhil Jibin Abraham as Groom
Production
The film commenced it's shooting in November 2022.[9] The film is produced by J. Phanindra Kumar under Cosmos Entertainments, with Sethuraman Nair Kankol as co-producer.[10] The cinematography is handled by Renadive, editing by Samjith Mohammed, and music composed by Gireesh Narayanan.[11]The film's background score were composed by Ghibran. The film wrapped the shooting on 9 November 2023.[12]
Controversies
Legal dispute and interim stay
In May 2025, the film became the subject of a legal dispute when the Madras High Court issued an interim injunction restraining its release. The stay order was granted after a petition was filed by a Chennai-based production house, alleging non-payment of dues amounting to ₹1.3 crore by the producers of the film. The petitioner claimed that despite providing financial support during the film's production, the repayment was defaulted.[13]
The case drew attention due to the film's anticipated release and the involvement of popular actor Suresh Gopi in the lead role. As of late May 2025, the court's final decision on whether the release would proceed was pending.[14]
Censorship controversy and CBFC objection
Prior to its release, Janaki vs State of Kerala became the center of a censorship dispute with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The Board reportedly denied certification to the film, objecting to the use of the name "Janaki" for the lead character, citing religious sensitivity as the name is associated with the Hindu goddess Sita. However, the filmmakers asserted that no formal written reason was provided by the CBFC for the objection, and they were verbally asked to change the character's name and the film's title.[15]
The move sparked widespread criticism from film industry bodies and political organizations. B. Unnikrishnan, General Secretary of Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) publicly supported the makers, calling the demand as "strange" and censorship is unjustified and an attack on creative freedom.[16] The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) also condemned the CBFC's stance, urging for artistic expression to be respected.[17] Several media outlets and legal experts raised concerns over the lack of a documented rationale from the censor board and the implications for freedom of speech in cinema.
As a result of the dispute, the film's release originally scheduled for 27 June 2025 was postponed until the matter was addressed. The filmmakers have stated that they will not make any changes as requested by the CBFC and are planning to pursue legal action against the board's decision.[18]
The Kerala High Court intervened in the dispute, sharply questioning the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and asked whether the CBFC now intends to dictate character names and storylines to filmmakers, highlighting that most names in India have religious connotations. Citing past films like Seeta Aur Geeta and Ram Lakhan, the court pointed out the inconsistency in the Board's stance. Justice N. Nagaresh directed the CBFC to submit a written affidavit explaining how the name "Janaki" violates any certification guidelines. The affidavit is to be filed by July 2, 2025, and the next hearing is scheduled for the same date.[19]
On 30 June 2025, several Malayalam film industry bodies including FEFKA, AMMA, and the Kerala Film Producers Association organized a symbolic protest outside the CBFC regional office at Chithranjali Studio, Thiruvananthapuram. Artists, directors, producers, and crew members participated, discarding scissors into a dustbin to symbolise rejection of censorship, and carried placards like "Fight against the Censor Board's denial of justice, protect freedom of expression".[20]
B. Unnikrishnan, FEFKA’s General Secretary, stated that the protest defended the freedom of the artist and objected to CBFC’s alleged interference in naming choices.[21]
Director Kamal compared the board's stance to censorship during the Emergency period, warning against excessive loyalty to authority over creative rights.[22]
Kerala's Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian also criticised the CBFC’s action, calling it “completely unacceptable” and stating that if such a barrier was placed even before a film featuring Union Minister Suresh Gopi, ordinary filmmakers would face even worse treatment.[23]
On July 2, 2025, the Kerala High Court directed that the film be screened for the bench on July 5, 2025, to evaluate the objections raised by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The court scheduled the next hearing on July 9, 2025.[24]
Release
The first look poster was released on 6 June 2024.[25] The release date was announced on 26 January 2025.[26][27] A motion poster for the film was released on 28 May 2025, confirming the theatrical release date as 20 June 2025.[28][29] However it was initially postponed by one week and confirmed the release date as 27 June 2025.[30] But it was blocked at the last minute by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), citing an objection to the use of the name Janaki for the main character and in the film's title. The CBFC demanded that the name be changed, leading to a delay in the certification process and subsequently postponing the film's release again.[31]
References
- ^ "Janaki V State of Kerala (2025)". Irish Film Classification Office. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Suresh Gopi and Anupama Parameswaran in Janaki vs State of Kerala". Deccan Chronicle. 2024-12-20. Archived from the original on 2024-12-20. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ "Suresh Gopi starrer JSK Janaki v/s State of Kerala first poster out". OTTplay. 26 January 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ "Suresh Gopi and Anupama Parameswaran's JSK gets release date". The New Indian Express. 28 May 2025. Archived from the original on 1 June 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ "Janaki v/s State of Kerala release date: Suresh Gopi-Anupama Parameswaran starrer to hit theatres in June 2025". OTTplay. 27 May 2025. Archived from the original on 29 May 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ "Suresh Gopi's 'Janaki v/s State of Kerala' locks June release; Motion poster unveiled". The Times of India. 2025-05-29. Archived from the original on 2025-05-29. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Janaki v/s State Of Kerala: Suresh Gopi-starrer courtroom drama gets a release date". OTTplay. 2025-05-28. Archived from the original on 2025-05-29. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Suresh Gopi stars as Advocate David Abel Donovan in JSK movie poster". Mathrubhumi. 26 January 2025. Archived from the original on 1 June 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ "Suresh Gopi's younger son Madhav to make film debut with 'J.S.K'". Mathrubhumi News. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Anupama Parameswaran Joins Suresh Gopi For His 255th Film". New18. 2023-05-25. Archived from the original on 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Suresh Gopi and Anupama Parameswaran's JSK gets a release date". The New Indian Express. 2025-05-28. Archived from the original on 2025-06-01. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "It's a wrap for Suresh Gopi and Anupama Parameswaran's 'JSK'". The Hindu. 9 November 2023. Archived from the original on 2025-06-01. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Madras High Court Injunction Against 'Janaki V/S State Of Kerala' Movie Over Unpaid Dues". Live Law. 28 May 2025. Archived from the original on 22 May 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ "Madras High Court moved by production house over release of Malayalam film Janaki v State of Kerala". CourtBook. 28 May 2025. Archived from the original on 14 May 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ "CBFC asks Union Minister Suresh Gopi's JSK - Janaki vs State of Kerala makers to change title over Goddess Sita's name". Hindustan Times. 22 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "CBFC denies release of Suresh Gopi's 'Janaki Vs State of Kerala' citing survivor's name can't be that of a goddess". Onmanorama. 22 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Janaki vs State of Kerala: 'Censor Board attempting to create division in society, Suresh Gopi should clarify his stand'". Kerala Kaumudi. 22 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Janaki v/s State of Kerala: Makers confirm 'no plans to change title or character's name'". OTTPlay. 24 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Why can't a rape survivor be named Janaki? Kerala HC questions CBFC's objection to Suresh Gopi film". Onmanorama. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
- ^ "Kerala film industry protests Censor Board's interference in 'Janaki v/s State of Kerala' movie". Mathrubhumi English. 29 June 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
- ^ "Kerala film bodies stage protest against CBFC over Janaki vs State of Kerala movie release". Hindustan Times. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
- ^ "Censor Board showing more devotion than the king: Director Kamal". Mathrubhumi English. 1 July 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
- ^ "If Union Minister Suresh Gopi's film faces roadblock, what hope for others: Minister Saji Cherian slams CBFC". Mathrubhumi English. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
- ^ "'JSK: Janaki vs State of Kerala' row: Kerala High Court to watch film on July 5". The Hindu. July 2, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ "JSK first look poster: Suresh Gopi turns lawyer in this legal thriller that asserts 'truth shall always prevail'". The Indian Express. 6 June 2024. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ "Makers of Suresh Gopi-Anupama Parameswaran starrer JSK announce release window". Cinema Express. 26 January 2025. Archived from the original on 1 June 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ "JSK first look poster: Suresh Gopi turns lawyer in this legal thriller". The Indian Express. 26 January 2025. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ "7 South movies releasing in June 2025: Hari Hara Veera Mallu, Thug Life to Kuberaa". Pinkvilla. 27 May 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ "Suresh Gopi's 'Janaki v/s State of Kerala' locks June release; Motion poster unveiled". The Times of India. 2025-05-29. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "'JSK – Janaki vs State of Kerala': Suresh Gopi starrer gets U/A rating, global release confirmed". Onmanorama. 2025-06-19. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
- ^ "സുരേഷ് ഗോപി ചിത്രത്തിന് പ്രദര്ശനാനുമതി നിഷേധിച്ച് സെന്സര് ബോര്ഡ്; തടസ്സം പേരിലെ 'ജാനകി'" (in Malayalam). Mathrubhumi. 2025-06-20. Retrieved 2025-06-21.