Rating: 1.5/5

PravinNarayanan’s Janaki V vs State of Kerala (JSK) had the potential to be a hard-hitting courtroom drama that sensitively portrays the struggles of a sexual-assault survivor seeking justice. Unfortunately, what unfolds on screen is a confused and underwhelming narrative that sidelines its most important character, Janaki, in favor of heavy-handed theatrics and poorly executed drama.

The film begins with promise, introducing a survivor’s battle for justice against a broken system. But instead of keeping Janaki (Anupama Parameswaran) at the heart of the story, the screenplay shifts its focus to Suresh Gopi’s David Abel Donovan, a larger-than-life advocate who spends much of his screen time delivering lengthy monologues and even brandishing the Constitution before judges. What could have been a nuanced commentary turns into a preachy and loud spectacle.

The narrative itself is cluttered. Rather than building tension around the assault case, the film distracts with unnecessary political subplots, protests, and even an out-of-place action sequence for Suresh Gopi. This results in Janaki being pushed to the sidelines, her trauma reduced to a backdrop for a male hero’s grandstanding.

The supporting characters, played by Madhav Suresh and Askar Ali, fail to add depth, with their roles feeling more like fillers than contributors to the narrative. Only Shruthi Ramachandran, in an extended cameo, leaves a brief impact.

While Anupama Parameswaran delivers a sincere performance within the limited scope she is given, her role feels wasted. By the time the film attempts to pack all its “message” into the final ten minutes with overdone monologues, it’s too little, too late.

Compared to Malayalam cinema’s recent authentic courtroom portrayals (Neru, Vaashi, Nna Thaan Case Kodu), JSK feels shallow and unconvincing. A film that should have amplified a survivor’s voice instead mutes it.