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Suresh Gopi and Anupama Parameswaran’s hard-hitting courtroom drama Janaki V vs State of Kerala is now ready for its digital release. After creating headlines with its title controversy and theatrical delay, the film arrives on OTT much sooner than expected.
Controversial Title Change & Theatrical Release
Directed by Pravin Narayanan, the Malayalam legal drama was making headlines even before its release. The film was initially titled Janaki vs State of Kerala, but the Censor Board objected to naming the assault survivor lead character after a goddess. Even though the makers initially resisted the recommendation, they later agreed and renamed it Janaki V vs State of Kerala. This resulted in a delay in its theatrical release.
#CBFC refused censor certificate to #JanakiVsStateOfKerala reportedly due to “objection over the title character’Janaki’ which is another name for goddess Sita!
The film has union minister #SureshGopi playing a lawyer and #AnupamaParameswaran a woman who has been assaulted. pic.twitter.com/TiN8OO1c0uAdvertisement
— Sreedhar Pillai (@sri50) June 23, 2025
The movie was released in theatres on July 17, 2025, and received a mixed response. While the core theme and lead performances drew appreciation, some viewers felt the narrative leaned towards being overly dramatic. Despite the presence of two popular actors, the film had a modest run at the box office.
