Cosmos Entertainment, the producer of the Malayalam film JSK – Janaki v/s State of Kerala, has approached the Kerala High Court over the Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) delay in granting certification. The movie features Suresh Gopi, a BJP politician and Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas.
The production company submitted the film for certification through the e-cinemapramaan portal on June 12, 2025, and the censor screening was completed on June 18, 2025. However, despite no formal objections from CBFC, reports suggest the board has asked for a change in the titular character’s name, ‘Janaki’, claiming it refers to the Hindu goddess Sita.
“The film is scheduled for release on 27.06.2025, and the continued delay in certification is causing serious financial loss and irreparable injury to the Petitioner.”
The petitioner expressed surprise at this demand since CBFC had earlier approved the film’s trailer without any objections. Currently, the e-cinemapramaan portal shows the status as ‘pending for issuance of show cause notice for cuts submission’.
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Cosmos Entertainment argues that the delay violates their fundamental rights under Article 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech and expression) and Article 19(1)(g) (right to practice any profession). The film’s release is set for June 27, 2025, and the delay is causing financial harm as theatres worldwide have been booked, and promotions have already been carried out under the same title.
The case is listed for hearing before the Kerala High Court on Wednesday. The legal team includes Advocates Anand B. Menon, Haris Beeran, Azhar Assees, and Nabil Khader.
Title: M/s Cosmos Entertainments v The Regional Officer, CBFC and Others
Case No: *WP(C) 23326/ 2025*
