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Kerala High Court Judge Screens 'Janaki vs State of Kerala' in Title Dispute

Justice Nagaresh will determine if the board’s religious objections justify withholding the censorship certificate.

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Overview

  • Kerala High Court judge N. Nagaresh viewed the film at a Kochi studio on July 5 as part of the judicial review into its U/A certification request.
  • The court has branded the CBFC’s demand to remove ‘Janaki’ from the title a challenge to creative freedom and ordered a detailed show-cause response.
  • CBFC counsel argued that naming a sexual assault survivor ‘Janaki’ offends religious sentiments because it is an epithet of Goddess Sita, citing Section 5B(2) of the Cinematograph Act.
  • Director Pravin Narayanan and Kerala film bodies have criticised the board’s intervention as arbitrary, noting past approvals of deity names in regional cinema.
  • The film’s June 20 release remains stalled with further hearings set for July 7 and July 9 to resolve the certification impasse.