SUPREME COURT ALLOWS RELEASE OF ANIMATED FILM 'MAHAPRABHU JAGANNATH' AFTER CONCLUSION OF RATH YATRA CELEBRATIONS:

The Supreme Court has permitted the nationwide release of the animated feature film Mahaprabhu Jagannath on or after July 28, directing that its theatrical release take place only after the conclusion of the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra festivities. The order was passed by a Bench comprising Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan, which modified an earlier interim order of the Orissa High Court that had restrained the release of the film pending further judicial consideration.

The appeal before the Supreme Court was filed by Ele Animations Pvt. Ltd., the producers of the animated film, challenging the High Court's interim order that had prevented the movie from being released on its originally scheduled date. During the proceedings, the Bench took note of the fact that the film was based on a web series that had already been made publicly available on YouTube and had remained accessible without any legal objection. The Court also considered that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had granted the film the necessary certification for public exhibition after examining its content in accordance with the statutory framework governing cinematographic works. Taking these factors into account, the Court concluded that an absolute prohibition on the release of the film was not warranted. However, in view of the ongoing Rath Yatra celebrations and the religious sensitivities associated with the festival, the Court considered it appropriate to defer the nationwide theatrical release until after the festivities had concluded, thereby striking a balance between the producers' right to exhibit the film and the concerns raised regarding public sentiment.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the State, informed the Court that the annual Rath Yatra had commenced on Thursday and was being celebrated not only in Odisha but also in several other parts of the country. This submission was taken into consideration by the Bench while determining the appropriate date from which the film could be released, leading to the direction that the exhibition of the film be postponed until on or after July 28.

The controversy originated before the Orissa High Court, where a Division Bench had passed an interim order restraining the release of the film after observing that the objections raised against its portrayal of Lord Jagannath required detailed judicial examination before the film could be publicly exhibited. The High Court was hearing a public interest litigation instituted by Mahesh Kumar Sahu of Angul, along with Dr. Pramod Kumar Acharya of Puri and Umashankar Acharya of Nimapada. The petitioners sought the cancellation of the certification granted by the CBFC and requested the Court to restrain the screening of the film in the State of Odisha.

The petitioners contended that the film contained fictional depictions relating to the childhood of Lord Jagannath, including imagined dialogues and battle sequences, which they alleged were inconsistent with the religious narratives contained in the Skanda Purana and the Brahma Purana, as well as the long-standing customs and traditions observed at the Jagannath Temple in Puri. According to the petition, these portrayals distorted established religious beliefs and had the potential to offend the sentiments of devotees. It was in light of these allegations that the High Court had considered it necessary to temporarily restrain the film's release until the issues raised in the public interest litigation could be examined in greater detail. The Supreme Court's order, while permitting the film's eventual release after the Rath Yatra celebrations, leaves the substantive issues raised before the High Court to be adjudicated in accordance with law.