Supreme Court allows release of animated film Mahaprabhu Jagannath after Rath Yatra, says animation cannot erode devotion
The Supreme Court of India has permitted the release of the animated film 'Mahaprabhu Jagannath' after the conclusion of the Rath Yatra festival. The court ruled that animated fiction does not inherently diminish religious devotion, overturning a previous ban by the Orissa High Court.
Why it matters
This ruling sets a legal precedent regarding the intersection of creative freedom, religious sensitivity, and the use of modern media to depict traditional mythology.
The Supreme Court on Friday (July 17, 2026) permitted the exhibition of an animated film ‘Mahaprabhu Jagannath’, prohibited for not strictly adhering to the Skanda Purana and Brahma Purana , assuring that animated fiction cannot diminish piety.
“Devotion is something internal for everyone. Can an animated film bring down devotion? How can fiction be in accordance with the Skanda Purana and the Brahma Purana… It is only imagination at work,” Justice B.V. Nagarathna, heading a Division Bench, addressed the Odisha government and trustees of the Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, who have objected to the film.
The Bench took the middle path by allowing the movie to be released, but only after the completion of the ongoing Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra on July 27, 2026. The court directed that the film could be released on or after July 28.
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