Nearly a month after its theatrical release, the Suresh Gopi's Malayalam legal thriller 'Janaki V vs State of Kerala' will hit streaming on August 15, on Zee5. The film, directed by Pravin Narayanan released in theatres on July 17 after a protracted controversy over its title.
In the film, Anupama Parameshwaran plays Janaki, a sexual assault survivor who is forced to defend herself after the veracity of her allegations are questioned by the criminal defense attorney, played by Suresh Gopi, who represents the accused. Shruti Ramachandran makes an extended guest appearance as the advocate who takes up Janaki's case in the film's latter half.
In its review of the film, THE WEEK called the film "confusing" and "inconsistent" while adding the film has "enough to appreciate" though those elements were "scarce".
"The point is that one wants to defend the cause the film argues for, but not the approach. JSK could've been a better, more sophisticated legal drama had it not given in to, for one, the temptations of forcefully incorporating cliches and nods to past roles of Gopi that don't align with how we understand David is supposed to be, in this film. In this regard, JSK can get as bewildering as, say, its choice to arrange scenes in such a way that makes us wonder whether they're happening in Thiruvananthapuram or Kochi," said the review.
