We filmed 'Janaki Jaane' around the same time but it's sad 'JSK' is facing censorship: Aneesh Upasana

Director Aneesh Upasana who is known for his films 'Matinee' and 'Janaki Jaane' said it is unfortunate that the Suresh Gopi-starrer 'Janaki Vs State of Kerala' has run into trouble with the Censor Board over the title. The director told Onmanorama that his film 'Janaki Jaane' starring Navya Nair and Saiju Kurup were shot around the same time 'Janaki Vs State of Kerala' was filmed in Thrissur. 

'I named our film Janaki Jaane midway during the shoot. That's when I learnt that Suresh Gopi's film too had a similar title. We did not face any censorship with the name when we released the movie in 2023. It's unfortunate that the makers of Janaki Vs State of Kerala had to go through a different kind of censorship during the film's release. Hope things work out for them," he said.

Aneesh recalls how he ran into trouble with the regional Censor Board prior to the release of his debut movie 'Matinee' featuring Maqbool Salman and Mythili. "I was a newcomer then and was completely taken by surprise when the Censor Board officials opposed a few scenes in my movie. I told the issue to director Sachy who was also present at the office of the Censor Board for the certification of the film 'Chettayees'. I remember how he came along with me and argued my case with the Censor Board officials during the hearing. I will forever be grateful for his role in ensuring that my film was released without much censorship hassles," he said. 'Matinee' went on to become a huge hit at the box office. 

'Janaki Vs State of Kerala' directed by Pravin Narayanan was supposed to hit theatres last week but its release was stalled due to the intervention by the Censor Board. According to the Censor Board counsel, the name Janaki is an alternative for the Hindu goddess Sita and hence has to be removed from the film. The Kerala High Court will review the film in Kochi on Saturday.