The Supreme Court on Friday declined to grant immediate relief to the makers of the animated film Mahaprabhu Jagannath. The court observed that the Rath Yatra will conclude on July 27 and said the film may be released after the festival ends.
The Supreme Court allowed the nationwide release of Mahaprabhu Jagannath on or after July 28, 2026, modifying the Orissa High Court’s interim stay until August 5. Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan said releasing the film after the Rath Yatra concludes on July 27 appropriately balances devotees’ religious sentiments with the filmmakers’ right to screen the animated film.
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During the hearing, the Bench remarked that “animation cannot erode devotion”, noting that an animated depiction by itself does not diminish the faith of devotees.
The dispute arose after devotees filed a public interest litigation before the Orissa High Court, alleging that the film’s fictionalised dialogues, childhood episodes and battle sequences involving Lord Jagannath were inconsistent with sacred texts, including the Skanda Purana and Brahma Purana.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the State of Odisha, noted that the trustees and the Gajapati of the Lord Jagannath Temple found several portions of the film objectionable. “There are certain issues… The way in which the Lord is shown fighting… I do not take examples, but consider if Lord Krishna is shown as having been born in a resort instead of in prison… You may have literary freedom, but you cannot have radical change,” Mr Mehta argued.
The film’s producer, Ele Animations Pvt. Ltd., challenged the High Court’s stay order before the Supreme Court, arguing that the film was created with devotion and had no intention of hurting religious sentiments.
During the proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Odisha government, informed the court that a special screening had been organised for the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, both of which had suggested certain changes that, according to the submissions, were not incorporated by the filmmakers.
The film is now set for release after the Rath Yatra concludes, subject to the Supreme Court’s directions.
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