B Unnikrishnan slams censor board over ‘Janaki Vs State of Kerala' name change: 'Which age are we living in?'
'Aarattu' director B Unnikrishnan has sharply criticised the
Central Board of Film Certification
(CBFC) for its insistence on a title change in the upcoming Suresh Gopi-starrer Janaki Vs State of Kerala.
As reported by On Manorama, speaking out after the CBFC claimed that using the name 'Janaki'—another name for the Hindu goddess Sita—was offensive due to the nature of questions posed to the character in a courtroom scene, Unnikrishnan called the reasoning 'shameful' and 'regressive.
'
'The CBFC has controversially claimed that a woman who has faced sexual abuse cannot be named Janaki,' he said, calling out what he sees as a dangerous precedent. 'It further highlights that she is being cross-examined by a lawyer of a different religion. Which age and time are we living in?'
Muted dialogues, title change, clear film for certification
After a brief legal standoff, the film's title has now been modified to Janaki V Vs State of Kerala, referencing the protagonist's full name, Janaki Vidhyadharan.
The filmmakers also agreed to mute two instances where her full name is uttered during a controversial courtroom sequence.
Janaki vs State Of Kerala - Official Hindi Teaser
These edits, requested by the CBFC, occur between 1:06:45 and 1:08:36 in the film and follow the Board's concerns over lines that reference drug use, watching porn, and premarital relationships—questions posed to Janaki by a defence lawyer during her cross-examination.
'Does this mean Muslim lawyers can't defend Janaki?' asks director
Unnikrishnan also took issue with the religious angle highlighted by the CBFC, which stated that the lawyer questioning Janaki belongs to another religion. 'By their logic, a Muslim lawyer like Haris Beeran, who defended the filmmakers in this case, can never take up a case involving a Hindu woman named Janaki,' he pointed out.
The movie stars
Suresh Gopi
and Anupama Parameswaran in the lead.
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