New Delhi, July 29, 2026: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said its earlier decision to allow the release of the animated film Mahaprabhu Jagannath only after the conclusion of the Rath Yatra was aimed at striking a balance between public order concerns and the fundamental right to freedom of expression. The Court also agreed to hear an application filed by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration on Wednesday challenging the film's release.
The matter was mentioned before a Bench headed by Justice B V Nagarathna after the application was not listed, despite Chief Justice of India Surya Kant having assured the temple administration a day earlier that it would be taken up on Tuesday.
Odisha Advocate General Pitamber Acharya sought an urgent hearing before the Bench, which had passed the July 17 order allowing the film's release after the Rath Yatra.
Balancing Faith And Free Speech
Justice Nagarathna said the Court had deliberately postponed the release until after the festival, keeping in mind public sensitivities and possible law and order issues.
"We had permitted the release of the movie after the conclusion of Rath Yatra as we had to balance everything. We are conscious about the sensitivities attached to law and order. So we permitted the release after the festival gets over," the Bench observed.
Appearing for the Odisha government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Court that the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration had approached the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on July 25, seeking revocation of the certification granted to the film. He argued that the CBFC could not decide the representation because the Supreme Court had already ordered the film's release.
Acharya told the Court that the petition challenging the contents of the film is still pending before the Orissa High Court and is scheduled for hearing on August 5.
He clarified that the temple administration was only seeking a clarification that the Supreme Court's July 17 order dealt solely with the timing of the film's release and did not decide the merits of the challenge. He urged the Court to allow the High Court to decide the pending petition.
Fresh Legal Battle Over Film
The Bench, however, observed that the temple administration was attempting to widen the scope of the proceedings. "You are now expanding the scope of the petition. This is only a cartoon. It will appeal more as its fictional work. We balanced the rights of liberty of the producer and the sensitivity involved and permitted the movie's release after the Rath Yatra gets over," it said.
Mehta then suggested that the application be formally listed so that the temple administration could present its concerns. The Bench accepted the request and agreed to hear the matter on Wednesday.
In its application, the temple administration told the Court that protests against the film were continuing across Odisha through demonstrations, processions, public meetings, representations, and calls to stop its screening in cinema halls, Hindustan Times reported.
Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for producer Ele Animations Private Limited, opposed the application, arguing that it was effectively seeking a review of the Court's earlier order. Questioning the state's stand, Kamat said, "What kind of a government are they running if law and order is being cited as a reason to deny exhibition of a film which has received CBFC certification."
Responding to the submission, Mehta said the Court had not watched the film. He informed the Bench that a pre-release screening had been organised for the temple administration, which had suggested certain changes. According to him, the grievance was that the film was released without incorporating those recommended cuts.
The temple administration also argued that although the Rath Yatra had concluded, lakhs of pilgrims were still in and around Puri and travelling across Odisha. It urged the Court to restrain the film's release until either the Orissa High Court or the CBFC takes a final decision.
Dispute Over Film's Release
The dispute stems from the Supreme Court's July 17 order on a petition filed by the producer challenging an interim order of the Orissa High Court staying the film's release.
The High Court had stayed the release on a petition filed by Mahesh Kumar Sahu, who alleged that the film's depiction of Lord Jagannath was contrary to the Skanda Purana, the Brahma Purana, and long-established traditions associated with the Jagannath Temple.
The producer has maintained that Mahaprabhu Jagannath is a fictional animated film centred on a child named Balram, a devotee of Lord Jagannath. The producer also informed the Court that the story has been successfully aired as a television series for the past two years.
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While staying the release earlier, the Orissa High Court observed that films are a powerful medium of expression and that their impact, particularly in matters involving religious faith, must be carefully assessed.
It held that the right to freedom of expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution must be balanced against the reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2), and cannot be exercised in a manner that hurts religious sentiments or disturbs public order.
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