KOCHI: The Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), the apex filmmakers union in the state, has decided to protest in front of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) office in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday (June 30) after the film certification body decided to withhold the release of the movie JSK – Janaki V/s State of Kerala, demanding the makers of the film rename the central character Janaki.

Other film bodies viz., the Association of the Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) and the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA) will also join the protest, he told a news conference here.

The CBFC wanted the  film starring Union Minister Suresh Gopi to change the name of the central character Janaki as it refers to the Hindu goddess Sita.

“We are protesting because this issue should be discussed among the public. Because the freedom of expression is violated. The problem does not just affect the industry but society as a whole. We have films like Seetha Kalyanam, Patalam Janaki, etc. There were no such issues. How can it now cause an issue? If it does, the shift in the society should be discussed,” said Ranji Panicker, the president of the FEFKA director’s union.

B Unnikrishnan, the general secretary of FEFKA, said many directors and producers are worried about their movies.

“When the film Esho was released, there was also an issue. This time, the censor board has intervened. There should be clarity about the guidelines of censorship. We are questioning the competence of the authority that prepares and implements the guidelines,” he said.