Vasundhara Das in Ravanaprabhu to Anupama Parameswaran in JSK, the ‘Janakis’ of Malayalam cinema

Vasundhara Das played Janaki in Mohanlal's Ravanaprabhu in 2001, with no questions raised about the heroine’s name, which sadly was not the case with JSK star Anuapama Parameswaran in 2025.

Ravanaprabhu, JSK

Mohanlal’s Ravanaprabhu has made a triumphant return to the cinema halls in Kerala after 24 years. Videos of fans cheering and celebrating the film’s re-release have surfaced on Twitter, along with queries about Vasundhara Das who played Janaki in the 2001 Malayalam film. Interestingly, the film was a hit when it released more than decades ago with no questions raised about the heroine’s name, which sadly was not the case with Anuapama Parameswaran in 2025 when she played Janaki in Suresh Gopi-starrer JSK. Here’s a look at the two films with Janaki as the female character and the reception they received.

Mohanlal’s Ravanaprabhu

Ravanaprabhu is a 2001 Malayalam film, which starred Mohanlal in dual roles and was helmed by Ranjith. The sequel to the cult classic Devasuram (which Ranjith had scripted), Ravanaprabhu follows the tale of Karthikeyan , the son of the iconic Mangalassery Neelakandan from the first part.

Karthikeyan once again locks horns with Mundakkal Shekharan (also the villain in Devasuram), who stakes claim to his ancestral house. As he seeks revenge, Karthikeyan’s path crosses with that of his daughter Janaki, and he abducts her. It is interesting to note that the film is titled Ravanaprabhu (Lord Ravana) and he kidnaps Janaki, another name for Sita. But as film stories go, this ‘Ravana’ and ‘Janaki’ fall in love, and their romantic track ‘Ariyathe Ariyathe’ is still popular among cinephiles. The film also features a light-hearted scene where Janaki and Karthikeyan discuss the prospect of such an ‘unlikely romance’. The film and its songs have remained popular, though the sequel has more ‘mass’ elements than the first film in 1993. Ravanaprabhu, in its re-release, is also becoming a crowd-puller.

Janaki in JSK

In the 2025 Malayalam film JSK: Janaki V v/s State of Kerala, Anupama Parameswaran played the titular role who falls victim to sexual assault. Actor-politician Suresh Gopi appears as lawyer in the film, which courted much controversy after the Censor Board objected to the use of Janaki in the title. The issue kicked up quite a storm in Kerala, and the matter was taken up in the Kerala High Court after the makers initially refused to comply with CBFC orders. Many of those who objected to the board’s orders pointed out the countless films which had Janaki as a character (Ravanarabhu being one), and why those did not face any issue.

Eventually, a consensus was reached and ‘V’ was added to the title, and the name Janaki muted in certain instances in the movie. But for the controversy, JSK hardly made any waves at the box office with the film opening to mixed to negative reviews.

Also read: Janaki V vs State of Kerala (JSK) review: Suresh Gopi, Anupama Parameswaran’s drama is too jarring to be effective

FAQs

Q. Where to watch Ravanaprabhu online?

A. You can watch Ravanaprabhu on Prime Video. OTTplay Premium subscribers can also watch the film by topping up their plans to include Prime Video.

Q. Where to watch JSK: Janaki V v/s State of Kerala

A. JSK: Janaki V v/s State of Kerala is streaming on Zee5 via OTTplay Premium.

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