CBFC denies release of Suresh Gopi's 'Janaki Vs State of Kerala' citing survivor's name can't be that of a goddess

The Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) general secretary B Unnikrishnan has reacted strongly to the Censor Board's demand to change the title of Suresh Gopi's upcoming movie 'Janaki Vs State of Kerala'. B Unnikrishnan said he spoke to the film director Pravin Narayanan, who brought the issue to his notice. "I have asked him to move legally against such a strange demand by the Censor Board. FEFKA will also hold a different kind of protest. Such censorship cannot be encouraged in Malayalam cinema and we will not allow it," he said.

According to Unnikrishnan, the Censor Board has only issued an oral directive because they know it is too strange to be written on paper. "The Censor Board has argued that a woman who has been abused cannot be named Janaki as it is another name for goddess Sita. In that case, there are several villains named after gods in Malayalam cinema. N F Varghese played the character Viswanathan, a villain in 'Pathram'. We won't support this," he said. Unnikrishnan also mocked the Censor Board asking it to give filmmakers a list of approved names to use in cinema. The makers of 'Janaki Vs State of Kerala' are reportedly planning to postpone the film's release as they do not intent to change the title of the movie. As per the oral directive, the makers have to rename the titutlar character along with the title of the film.