Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has approached the Supreme Court (SC), seeking to restrain the release of the animated film ‘Mahaprabhu Jagannath’. The state argued that the film’s release could trigger law and order problems, even though the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had already granted it clearance.
The matter was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, on Tuesday. Odisha Advocate General Pitambar Acharya flagged the possibility of unrest in the state and requested an urgent hearing, according to LiveLaw.
He informed the court that the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration had also filed a separate application, urging the Centre to revoke the film’s CBFC certificate.
According to a LiveLaw report, the Advocate General told the bench that the film depicted Lord Jagannath in an animated form, and said the state had sought a modification of the earlier SC order that had permitted the film’s release after Rath Yatra.
The development comes about two weeks after a separate SC bench, comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan, had allowed the film’s all-India release on or after July 28, specifically after the conclusion of Rath Yatra festivities. That bench had observed that animation and fictional depictions could not erode devotion, and had noted that the CBFC had examined the film against statutory parameters before certifying it.
The dispute originated after the Orissa High Court stayed the film’s release following a public interest litigation. The High Court had pointed to the risk of hurting religious sentiments and disturbing public order, citing depictions said to be inconsistent with texts such as the Skanda Purana and Brahma Purana, as well as established temple traditions.
Petitioners had objected to fictionalised episodes, childhood portrayals, certain dialogues, and battle sequences shown in the film.
Reports indicate that the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration had suggested changes to the film after a special screening, and that the producers had not fully incorporated these suggestions.
The filmmakers, Ele Animations Pvt Ltd, have maintained that the project is a fictional animated work intended for children and general audiences, and carries a disclaimer to that effect. They have argued that the film is protected under the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression. The film, based on an earlier web series, had originally been scheduled for theatrical release earlier in July but has faced repeated legal challenges since.
