Various film bodies in the Malayalam movie industry will stage a protest in front of the regional office of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) at Thiruvananthapuram on June 30, 2025 in protest against the “arbitrary film certification” adopted by the board. The day-long protest was decided after the CBFC’s revising committee demanded the makers of the film JSK - Janaki vs State of Kerala to change the title of the film as well as the name of the protagonist.
The representatives of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), Kerala Film Producers’ Association, Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (MAA) will be among those who will be participating in the protest on Monday, said B. Unnikrishnan, general secretary of FEFKA, here on Friday.
CBFC demands name change for JSK- Janaki Vs State of Kerala, starring Union Minister Suresh Gopi
He termed the revising committee’s decision as “arbitrary” and one that may have far-reaching consequences in the way forward for the cinema industry. Already, filmmakers and writers who are working on various projects have contacted us expressing their concern over the board’s decision, he said.
The revising committee is learnt to have demanded a change in the title as well as the name of the titular character of Janaki, apparently because the name also refers to the Hindu goddess Sita. It was conveyed to the makers through unofficial channels that the victim of a sexual assault cannot be named after a goddess.
