Thiruvananthapuram, 13 July

The controversy over the denial of censor certification for the Suresh Gopi-starrer 'Janaki vs State of Kerala' has been resolved, with the makers agreeing to change the film's title.

It will now be titled 'Janaki V vs State of Kerala' (JSK), with the addition of an initial to the name 'Janaki'.

The original title was rejected by the revising committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), despite having been cleared by the regional panel, because Janaki is a synonym for Goddess Sita.

Following an appeal filed by the film’s producers, High Court judge N Nagaresh agreed to watch the film before passing a verdict.

After the screening, the court asked the producers whether they wished to continue the legal battle.

The producers then agreed to make the changes suggested by the CBFC, as the film’s release was being delayed.

In addition to the title change, the film will be released with alterations in eight scenes, and the name 'Janaki' will be muted in court sequences.

The film’s director, Pravin Narayanan, announced on Facebook that the film will release on 17 July.

"It is with great joy and even more relief that we, Team 'JSK', announce the release of our film. As everyone knows, the film, which was supposed to be released on 27 June, was denied entry on 21 June due to some unexpected circumstances, and as a result, we had to file a petition before the High Court," he wrote in a post on Saturday night.

He said the film is the result of a long-standing dream and the collective effort of many artists.

Narayanan also thanked the film organisations that protested the CBFC’s decision to deny certification for what he called "unjustifiable reasons."

Various film bodies, led by the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), had staged a protest on 30 June in front of the CBFC's regional office in Thiruvananthapuram, opposing what they described as unfair certification practices.

'JSK' stars Union Minister Suresh Gopi and Anupama Parameswaran in the lead roles. The CBFC has now cleared the film with a ‘UA 16+’ certificate.