Supreme Court Allows Release of Animated Film Mahaprabhu Jagannath After Rath Yatra

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday permitted the nationwide release of the animated film Mahaprabhu Jagannath after the conclusion of the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra festivities, allowing the movie to hit theatres on or after July 28.

A Bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan declined to allow the film’s release on its originally scheduled date of July 17, observing that it should not be screened during the ongoing Rath Yatra celebrations.

The producers, Ele Animations Pvt. Ltd., had challenged the July 15 interim order of the Orissa High Court, which restrained the release of the film pending judicial scrutiny over objections to its portrayal of Lord Jagannath.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Odisha government, informed the apex court that Rath Yatra festivities had commenced in Odisha and other parts of the country.

The Supreme Court noted that the film is based on a web series that has already been available on YouTube for nearly two years and that it had received certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). However, the Bench refused to stay the High Court’s order for immediate release.

“After the Rath Yatra concludes, you can release the movie,” Justice Nagarathna observed while hearing senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, who represented the filmmakers.

Kamat argued that the film had received CBFC clearance, was intended as a children’s animated feature, and was a fictional work comparable to animated films on Hindu deities such as Bal Ganesh. He also submitted that the producers had invested crores of rupees and booked theatres across the country, and that delaying the release would cause significant financial losses.

The Bench, however, maintained that the film should not be released during the religious festivities and disposed of the producers’ petition by permitting its release after the conclusion of Rath Yatra.

The Orissa High Court had earlier observed that the objections raised against the film’s depiction of Lord Jagannath required detailed judicial examination before it could be publicly exhibited.

The High Court’s interim order came while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Mahesh Kumar Sahu of Angul, Dr. Pramod Kumar Acharya of Puri, and Umashankar Acharya of Nimapada.

The petitioners sought cancellation of the film’s CBFC certification and a direction restraining its screening in Odisha. They alleged that the film’s fictional depiction of Lord Jagannath’s childhood, dialogues, and battle sequences was inconsistent with the Skanda Purana, Brahma Purana, and long-established traditions associated with the Jagannath Temple.