The Supreme Court on Tuesday raised questions about the opposition to the animated film ‘Mahaprabhu Jagannath’. The court asked whether showing Lord Jagannath in animated form could in any way diminish the faith of devotees.
The bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R Mahadevan said that it will hear on July 29 the petitions filed by the Odisha government seeking modification of the earlier order regarding the film’s release.
The court had earlier allowed the film to be released after the Rath Yatra concluded. The lawyer for the Shri Jagannath Temple Administration argues that the film depicts Lord Jagannath as a cartoon character.
Objection to showing the film as a cartoon
Advocate General Pitambar Acharya, appearing for the Shri Jagannath Temple Administration, argued that the film shows Lord Jagannath as a cartoon character. However, the bench did not appear to agree with his argument.
Justice Nagaratna said that will the devotion towards Lord Jagannath diminish if this film made for children is released? That will not happen. You are expanding the scope of the petition. The screening of the film is a different matter and animation will attract children more.
Demand to wait for Censor Board’s decision
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Odisha government, informed the court that the Shri Jagannath Temple Administration has already registered its objections before the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) regarding the film.
He told the bench that the release of the film should be postponed until the certification authority takes a decision on this matter. He said that the authority should not be bound by the court’s previous order.
On this, the bench said that while passing their previous order, they had already balanced concerns related to law and order and respect for religious sentiments. Advocate Acharya reiterated that the issue is not the festival, but depicting Lord Jagannath as a cartoon.
High Court had imposed ban on the film
The Supreme Court had imposed a stay on the immediate release of the film during the Rath Yatra on July 17 and allowed the producers to release the film on or after July 28. The court had said in its interim order that the Rath Yatra would run from July 16 to July 27.
This order came on an appeal by film producer ‘Elle Animation Private Limited’, which challenged the High Court’s July 15 order that had imposed a ban on the nationwide release of the film.
The High Court had imposed a nationwide ban on the film’s release due to non-strict adherence to the religious texts of Skanda Purana. The petition filed in the High Court demanded cancellation of the film’s certification and a ban on its public screening in the state.
The petitioners had demanded a judicial inquiry, objecting to the portrayal of Lord Jagannath in the film.
