The Supreme Court has declined to allow the release of the animated film ‘Mahaprabhu Jagannath’ on its scheduled date and directed the producers to postpone it until after the conclusion of the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri on July 27. Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan refused to stay the Odisha High Court’s order, stating that the Rath Yatra is ongoing until July 27.
The Bench, led by Justice Nagarathna, advised the makers not to release the film during the Rath Yatra but to do so after its conclusion. The apex court granted permission for the film’s release after July 27 and disposed of the plea filed by the producers. Senior advocate Devadatt Kamath, representing the producers, argued that the ban on the film had resulted in significant financial losses for them.
The producers had approached the Supreme Court challenging the Odisha High Court’s decision that halted the film’s release, citing non-conformity with the Skanda Purana. The film, ‘Mahaprabhu Jagannath,’ had received a ‘U’ certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in Hindi, Odia, and Telugu. It was intended for a pan-India release on over 300 screens in these languages and was created as a family entertainer based on the life and teachings of Lord Jagannath.
