J.S.K film: 'Publish names of all gods, goddesses', lawyer requests CBFC over 'Janaki vs State of Kerala' row

A petition under the Right to Information Act was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification headquarters in Mumbai to provide a list of names of all male and female gods. Adv. Harish Vasudevan, a lawyer practicing in the Kerala High Court, raised the RTI with this quirky request.

 

The lawyer decided to raise the request in the aftermath of the moves made by the CBFC in the case of a Malayalam film, Janaki vs State of Kerala, which was supposed to release at the end of June. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) denied certification for the film, objecting to the use of the name "Janaki" for the lead character, a rape survivor, citing religious sensitivity due to its association with the Hindu goddess Sita.

 

The film, represented by Cosmos Entertainments, challenged the decision in the Kerala High Court, arguing that the objection was arbitrary and violated their creative freedom. The production company also contended that the delay in certification infringed upon their fundamental rights to free speech and profession under Article 19, and was causing significant financial losses.

 

On July 2, 2025, the court ordered a special screening of the film on July 5 to evaluate the CBFC's objections. On July 9, when the court resumed hearings, the CBFC suggested adding an initial to the name Janaki in the title and also muting or editing the word Janaki in court scenes. The filmmakers agreed to these changes for certification.

 

Directed by Pravin Narayanan, Union Minister Suresh Gopi handles the lead role in the film, which is a courtroom drama.

 

Earlier, the controversy sparked protests from Malayalam film industry bodies, including the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) and the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), who called the CBFC's actions arbitrary. Vasudevan noted that he gave this petition as he could not find the list of names of gods or goddesses on the film certification board’s website. “If the Board is not taking initiative to publish the list considering the public interest, I will publish it when I get the list,” he noted sarcastically.

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