Supreme Court dismisses Odisha Govt plea against release of ‘Mahaprabhu Jagannath’, says ‘cannot sit in judgment over art’

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) said it “cannot sit in judgment over art” while dismissing Odisha government’s challenge to the release of an animated film ‘Mahaprabhu Jagannath’, cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Justice B.V. Nagarathna indicated that the idea or depiction of divinity was multi-faceted, referring to “a sculptor’s vision of God”. The various ways in which God is perceived would not diminish divinity nor devotion,assured the State government.

The Odisha government argued that the Lord was depicted objectionably as “Spiderman or Doraemon” in the film. The State argued that the Lord cannot be depicted in a “cartoon form”.

“Animation is for the purpose of children. Nobody is now reading books. These things should not come in the way of art… Let children see the film,” the court responded.

Justice Nagarathna turned to senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for the film makers, to instruct his clients to search their conscience and, if necessary, pro-actively remove anything they considered would be objectionable to a wider audience.

Mr. Kamat maintained that there was not a single objectionable word in the film meant for children. He quoted the Bhagavad Gita to explain that the Lord took many forms to relate to us with love.

The court dismissed the petition, declining to modify its July 17 order permitting the exhibition of the film after the completion of the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra on July 27, 2026. The court had directed that the film could be released on or after July 28.

The court order had been passed on an appeal filed by the film’s makers, Ele Animations, against an Orissa High Court ban on its screening. The film was originally scheduled for release on July 17 in 300-odd theatres across the country. Significantly, the State High Court had stopped the release of the film even after the CBFC had cleared the movie.

One of the parties opposing the screening had argued in the apex court that the film did not strictly adhere to the Skanda Purana and Brahma Purana. The court had at the time responded with an assurance that animated fiction cannot diminish piety.