28 June,2025 04:59 PM IST | Kochi | mid-day online correspondent
Kerala’s Culture Minister, Saji Cherian. Pic/X.
Kerala's Culture Minister, Saji Cherian, alleged on Saturday that instances of creative freedom being questioned have significantly increased since the BJP came to power at the Centre. He highlighted the recent denial of certification to the upcoming Malayalam film Janaki Vs State of Kerala (JSK) due to its name as the most current example, reported news agency PTI.
Further, Minister Cherian expressed his dismay that despite a BJP Union Minister of State, Suresh Gopi, having a role in the film, it has still been refused clearance for public exhibition. He directly questioned the rationale behind this, asking, "What is wrong with the name Janaki?"
In a strong rebuke to the BJP, the minister claimed that ever since the saffron party's ascent to power, it has been actively "dictating what people should write, say or eat and how they should act or live in an attempt to communally divide the public."
He firmly stated to reporters, "We should not allow creative freedom to be questioned. The state government and the LDF are of the clear view that there is no need to surrender before any communal force," reported PTI.
The minister further stressed that these incidents serve as "symptoms" of a deteriorating national situation, akin to the period of the Emergency, into which the country risked descending if the central government's authoritarian actions were not promptly challenged and brought to a halt. He issued a stark warning: "A situation will arise where one would not be able to name their own children."
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) revising committee had reportedly issued a verbal directive to the makers of JSK, instructing them to change the name of the titular character. This was specifically because Janaki is also a name for Goddess Sita.
However, the Kerala High Court on Friday questioned the censor board's stance on the name Janaki and ordered it to provide a written submission detailing its revising committee's decision regarding the film, according to PTI.
This judicial observation and subsequent directive were issued in response to a plea by Cosmos Entertainments, the film's production company, concerning the CBFC's ongoing delay in providing certification for the movie.
(With inputs from PTI)
