KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday decided to watch the film 'Janaki vs State of Kerala,' starring Union Minister Suresh Gopi, on Saturday at 10 a.m. "Considering the allegations in the writ petitions, I believe it is appropriate to view the movie before making any final decisions. The petitioner is directed to arrange a screening in an appropriate studio on Saturday at 10 am," said Justice N. Nagaresh. The court clarified that it will close the case on July 9.
The court stated that the representative of each party, the petitioner and the Board, or their counsel, can be present during the screening.
During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioner mentioned that there are practical difficulties in screening the movie in court since it is only available for theatrical release. The petitioner can arrange a studio screening at Lal Media, Palarivattom. The court then asked, "Does anybody have an objection to viewing the film at Lal Media?" No one objected.
The order was issued on a petition filed by Cosmos Entertainments, Tamil Nadu, the producer of the film, seeking a directive to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to issue a censor certificate.
Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, representing the Regional Officer of the CBFC, stated that there are some allegations in a new petition filed by filmmakers challenging the revising committee’s decision to remove the name "Janaki" from the film’s title and dialogues, wherever it appears. Therefore, he sought time to file a counter-affidavit. The petitioner’s counsel opposed this, arguing it was a delay tactic rather than a legitimate request for time.
The court said it could not grant indefinite time for the Board to file an affidavit.