‘By this logic, film titles will soon have to follow vehicle registration formats’: TG Ravi on ‘Janaki’ row

Thrissur: Veteran actor T G Ravi has spoken out against the denial of a censor certificate to the film JSK: Janaki Vs State of Kerala, allegedly due to the use of the name ‘Janaki’ in the title. He questioned the logic behind the objection, saying, “No one seems to understand what the issue is with using the name ‘Janaki’ in a film title.”

Ravi was speaking as the chief guest at the reopening ceremony of the renovated Kairali and Sree theatres at the Ramu Kariat Complex in Thrissur. Recalling that he had once acted in a film titled ‘Janaki’, the actor quipped that by this logic, film titles would soon have to follow the format of vehicle registration numbers. He criticised the move as “absurd” and “unnecessary”.

Addressing the event, State Minister Saji Cherian, who was also present on the occasion, slammed increasing restrictions on artistic freedom, noting that even Union Ministers are not spared from the overreach. “We are heading towards a situation where filmmakers may no longer have the right to even choose a title for their film,” he said. The Minister also revealed that large portions of the film ‘Empuraan’ had to be edited out.

Ravi, along with others who contributed to the theatre renovation, was felicitated at the event.