Still from the cartoon “Mahaprabhu Jagannath”. | Photo credit: Special Arrangement
The Supreme Court on Friday (July 17, 2026) allowed the screening of the animated film Mahaprabhu Jagannath, which was banned for not strictly following Skanda Purana And Brahma Puranaassuring that animated fiction cannot detract from godliness.
“Devotion is something internal to everyone. Can an animated film lower devotion? How can fiction be on par with the Skanda Purana and the Brahma Purana… It is just a work of imagination,” Justice B V Nagarathna, heading the division bench, asked the Odisha government and the trustees of the Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, who objected to the film.
The court ruled that the film can be released on July 28, 2026 or later. The court ruled that the film can be released on July 27, 2026.
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The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by the film’s makers, Ele Animations, against the Orissa High Court’s ban on its screening. The film was scheduled to release on July 17 in more than 300 theaters across the country. Notably, the High Court stopped the film’s release even after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cleared the film.
Senior advocate for the filmmakers Devadatt Kamath said the aim of the film was to inculcate devotion in children and the art form was adapted to make the divine origins and stories of the deity “acceptable” for young minds. He said the film is about baby Balram. Mr. Kamath, there were animation works on the films “Bal Ganesh” and “Bal Hanuman”.
Mr. Kamath said the film is merely an adaptation of the television series, which has successfully clocked 100 million views on YouTube for over two years. He said the ban, in addition to causing economic losses and massive cancellations of theaters and tickets, dealt a serious blow to fundamental freedom of speech and expression.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Odisha, said that the trustees and Gajapatis of Lord Jagannath Temple found certain parts of the film objectionable.
“There are certain problems… The way the Lord is shown fighting… I am not giving examples, but I am looking at whether Lord Krishna is shown as being born in a resort and not in a prison… You can have literary freedom, but you cannot bring about radical change,” reasoned Mr. Mehta.
Mr. Kamath argued that objections from the parties, intervention by the State or even the High Court could prevent the release of a CBFC-certified film on grounds of public order and morality. He said the objections raised by the respondent parties were considered by the CBFC before certifying the film.
“Release him by the end of the month. Release him after the Rath Yatra,” Justice Nagarathna told Mr. Kamath.
The senior lawyer agreed, but not without asking: “Can the Supreme Court delay the release of the film?”
Published – Jul 17, 2026 12:31 pm EST.