JSK: Revising committee too seeks to cut 'Janaki' from Malayalam film, Suresh Gopi yet to respond

There seems to be no end to the troubles plaguing Janaki v/s State of Kerala (JSK), a Malayalam film, which is under the radar of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for the use of the word Janaki in the movie. The revising committee, which saw the Suresh Gopi-starrer courtroom drama on Thursday, has also asked to change the name of Janaki in the film. This comes as a huge setback for the makers of JSK as the film uses the name Janaki in more than 90 instances! Even though the decision has sparked outrage, BJP MP Suresh Gopi, who headlines JSK, is yet to respond to the issue.

JSK row: Revising committee seeks to change ‘Janaki’

In the latest update in the ongoing row over the Malayalam film JSK, the revising committee has also sought to change the name of the character Janaki from the movie. Earlier censor board had also made the same suggestion, after which JSK was sent to the revising committee.

Janaki is the titular character (played by Anupama Parameswaran) in the movie, and the name is used in about 92 instances in the movie. The revising committee, which convened in Mumbai on Thursday morning, informed director Pravin Narayanan and the producers about the change to be made, Malayalam news channels have reported.

If the name has to be removed from JSK, the entire movie will have to be redubbed, as per the Malayalam news reports.

Janaki v/s State of Kerala was slated to release in theatres on June 27, 2025, with even the revising committee not giving the nod to the film, there is no certainty regarding when JSK will be released.

Notably, the film stars Suresh Gopi, the BJP MP from Kerala, in the lead role. The actor-politician has not publicly addressed the issue so far.

JSK row explained

JSK got into trouble after the CBFC took objection to the use of the name Janaki in the film. Following the delay in receiving the CBFC certificate, the film’s producers Cosmos Entertainments had approached the Kerala High Court. The CBFC informed the court that the revising committee would convene to make a decision. Amid this, the film’s director Pravin had slammed the move in a post on Facebook, asking how it can be said that names connected to deity cannot be used in movies. The Kerala HC will consider the case again on Friday.