Censor Board objection to Janaki v/s State of Kerala: Protagonist, named after Goddess Sita, questioned by man of another faith
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had denied the film certification on the grounds that Janaki is also a name associated with Goddess Sita. This had prompted the producers of the Suresh Gopi-starrer to approach the High Court.
The CBFC stated that a film with a tendency to disrupt public order should not be viewed through the lens of a person indifferent to religious sentiments. (Image: YouTube) Among the objections the Censor Board had to the Malayalam film Janaki v/s State of Kerala was that the protagonist Janaki, who was fighting for justice in a rape case, was cross-examined in court by a person of another faith, the Board’s affidavit filed in the court shows.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had denied the film certification on the grounds that Janaki is also a name associated with Goddess Sita. This had prompted the producers of the Suresh Gopi-starrer to approach the High Court.
The counter-affidavit, submitted by CBFC CEO (Mumbai) Rajendra Singh, states, “In the film, when the lead character, who is named after Goddess Sita/Janaki, is raped, she is aided by a man belonging to a 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 the character bearing Goddess Sita’s sacred name has the potential to inflame communal tensions and create divisive narratives between religious groups. Given the profound reverence accorded to Goddess Sita across India, these religiously charged subplots would pose a severe threat to public order.”
Share
