The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to interfere with the release of the animated film Mahaprabhu Jagannath, dismissing a plea by the Odisha government that sought modification of an earlier order permitting the film’s release after the Rath Yatra festivities.
A Bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan upheld its previous decision allowing the nationwide release of the film on or after July 28 and rejected the state’s contention that its exhibition could trigger law and order concerns due to objections over the depiction of Lord Jagannath.
The court observed that animation represents a creative art form intended primarily for children and said such artistic expression should not be restricted through litigation. During the hearing, the Bench remarked that creativity should be encouraged and noted that animation serves children’s audiences, adding that such petitions should not become obstacles to art.
Background Of The Dispute
The controversy arose after objections were raised over the film’s portrayal of Lord Jagannath. The Odisha government argued that screening the film could lead to public unrest.
In its earlier order, however, the Supreme Court had allowed the film to be released after the conclusion of the Rath Yatra celebrations. At the same time, it directed the producers not to screen the movie during the festival period.
The Bench had also taken note of the fact that the animated film was based on a web series that had already been released on YouTube and that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had granted certification for its theatrical release.
Filmmakers Cited Financial Stakes
Appearing for the producers, senior advocate Devadatt Kamat had argued that the filmmakers had invested crores of rupees in the project and booked theatres for its release. He had submitted that delaying the film’s release would result in substantial financial losses.
Kamat also told the court that the film was a fictional animated work created for children and compared it to animated films based on Bal Ganesh, while emphasising that it had already received CBFC approval.
High Court Proceedings
The Supreme Court proceedings stemmed from a challenge to an interim order of the Odisha High Court, which had stayed the film’s release after observing that objections relating to the portrayal of Lord Jagannath required detailed judicial examination before public exhibition.
The High Court had passed the interim order while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Mahesh Kumar Sahu of Angul along with Dr Pramod Kumar Acharya of Puri and Umashankar Acharya of Nimapada.
The petitioners sought cancellation of the CBFC certification granted to the film and requested that its public screening in Odisha be restrained.
They contended that the fictional depiction of Lord Jagannath’s childhood, dialogues and battle scenes was inconsistent with the Skanda Purana, the Brahma Purana and long-standing temple traditions.
