Suresh Gopi film to release tomorrow with new name; Kerala High Court closes plea over CBFC clearance delay

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday closed a plea challenging the delay in issuing a censor certificate for the release of a Malayalam film starring Union Minister Suresh Gopi [M/s Cosmos Entertainments v. The Regional Officer].

This, after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certified the movie following a change in its title to 'Janaki V vs. State of Kerala'.

The CBFC had objected to the earlier film title 'Janaki v. State of Kerala' on concerns that the name Janaki, which is also used to denote the Hindu goddess Sita, was being used to refer to a rape survivor in the film. Later, the CBFC agreed to certify the film if the filmmakers added the film-character's full name 'Janaki V' or 'V Janaki' in the title, and if the name 'Janaki' is muted during a courtroom scene.

The filmmakers agreed to make these changes, following which the CBFC finally granted a censor certificate, paving the way for the film's release on July 17.

Justice N Nagaresh recorded these developments in his order today and closed the petition. He also clarified that the use of earlier teasers or promotional materials with the earlier film title will not make the film's producers liable for any legal action.

“It is submitted that the petitioner has submitted modified version of the movie and Central Board of Film Certification has issued certificate on 11.07.2025. The prime grievance of the petitioner now stands redressed."

The judge had earlier watched the movie on July 5 at a studio in Kochi and opined that there was no reason why a rape survivor fighting for justice couldn't be named Janaki. He also criticised the CBFC for interfering with free speech and artistic freedom.

In response, Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, appearing for the CBFC, informed the Court that although the Board had earlier proposed 96 cuts to the film, it is now only seeking two specific changes.

The first was to revise the film's title by altering the name 'Janaki' to 'Janaki V' or 'V Janaki', aligning it with the character's full name, Janaki Vidhyadharan. The second was to mute the name 'Janaki' during a courtroom cross-examination scene.

Advocate Haris Beeran, representing the producers, readily agreed to the second change. Although he initially pushed back with respect to the first change, Beeran ultimately told the Court that the producers are willing to amend the film's subtitle to 'Janaki V v/s State of Kerala'.

Chandrachud assured the Court that once the revised version of the movie is submitted, CBFC would grant censor certification within three days. This has now been done, leading to the closure of the case before the High Court.

The film tells the story of a rape survivor named 'Janaki.' It was initially scheduled for release on June 27.

The production house, M/s Cosmos Entertainments, approached the Court with a writ petition after the CBFC failed to issue a certificate, despite an application being submitted online on June 12.

The CBFC had earlier argued that using the name 'Janaki' in a film involving themes of sexual violence and explicit content could hurt religious sentiments.

In a detailed affidavit filed before the Court, the CBFC stated that its concerns were not based merely on the use of a religious name but on the portrayal of the character, since the rape survivor is depicted as someone enduring multiple traumatic events, including being subjected to sexually explicit and demeaning questions in a courtroom setting.

"In the subject film, when the lead character who is named after Goddess Sita/Janaki is raped, she is then aided by a man belonging to one particular religious community and is cross examined and asked harrowing questions by a person belonging to another religious community. This religious dichotomy in the treatment of a character bearing Goddess Sita's sacred name has the potential to inflame communal tensions and create divisive narratives between religious groups," the affidavit stated.

Such a portrayal, the CBFC argued, diminishes the sanctity associated with Goddess Sita and risks instigating communal and religious tensions.

Advocates Anand B Menon, Azhar Assees and Nabil Khader also appeared for the producers.

[Live Coverage]