The argument over Janaki v/s State of Kerala or JSK, which has Suresh Gopi, an actor and politician, in the lead, seems to never cease. The use of Janaki, which is the name of the goddess, in the title of the movie caused problems since the Central Board of Film Certification disapproved of it. The case is now before the Kerala High Court, which will hear JSK before making a decision. The Malayalam film community has united in support of the film, strongly rejecting calls for a name change, even as the JSK controversy rages in court. The action has been criticized as "arbitrary" and "anti-democratic" by well-known performers, producers, and even screenwriters.

Malayalam actors and producers express their opposition in the JSK row

The Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) and Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) have officially registered their complaint after the CBFC attempted to alter Janaki's name in the film. The idea was also criticized by renowned actor and producer Maniyanpilla Raju. "It's awful to say the name Janaki cannot be used." Such brutal events did not occur even during the emergency. "In that instance, we can no longer use Narayanan, Vishnu, or Ganapathi as character names," Maniyanpilla Raju stated. Raju, who starred in Mohanlal's Thudarum, continued, adding that all the artists and technicians would oppose this action. He also emphasized that there will be no film or artistic production in the future if this is permitted.

M Renjith, the producer of Thudarum, also expressed support for JSK, stating that such arbitrary judgments may never be tolerated. "It cannot be abruptly stated that Janaki cannot be used in the film after all these years of hard work. Then the Censor Board regulations should specify that the Janaki name should not be used," he said. The Malayalam producer called the board's action "anti-democratic" even though he said he was prepared to abide by the regulations.

Additionally, many people raised concerns about the rationale behind seeking a name change, noting that the majority of names will be associated with gods or religions. The JSK conflict was also criticized by renowned screenwriter Renji Panicker, who described the ongoing events as unsettling. He predicted that this might result in a future in which people are referred to by numbers rather than by names. Renji Panicker, who wrote many of Suresh Gopi's popular movies, such as Commissioner, which was directed by Shaji Kailas, is notable.

However, Askar Ali, a young Malayalam actor, responded more harshly, saying, "If the board refuses to issue a certificate over the name controversy, then I would say that the board should be shut down."

However, Suresh Gopi, the movie's protagonist, has not yet addressed the matter in public, even with the support of the film community.