However, the release was shelved after the Central Board of Film Certification reportedly rejected issuing a censorship certificate.
The CBFC reportedly asked the Janaki v/s State of Kerala team to change the name Janaki for the lead character and the movie's title, claiming it referred to the Hindu goddess Sita.
Following this, the Janaki v/s State of Kerala team appealed against the decision in the Kerala High Court. During the case hearing today, the Kerala High Court strongly condemned the CBFC.
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The Kerala High Court also questioned the CBFC, asking whether they would teach lessons to all directors and writers on what names they should use for movies and what kind of stories they should write.
The court also questioned the issue of keeping the name of the title character as Janaki and strictly condemned the CBFC for interfering with the freedom of artists, stating that directors should not have to change the name of the lead for such unnecessary reasons.
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After this, many netizens are welcoming the High Court's strong condemnation of the CBFC. It remains to be seen whether Janaki v/s State of Kerala will have a smooth release or if this issue will escalate further in the coming days.