SC declines immediate release of ‘Mahaprabhu Jagannath’, asks makers to wait till Rath Yatra ends

New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday declined to permit the release of the animated film ‘Mahaprabhu Jagannath’ on its scheduled release date and directed the producers to postpone its release till after the conclusion of the annual Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri on July 27.

A Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan refused to stay the Odisha High Court’s order, observing that the Rath Yatra had commenced on Thursday and would continue till July 27.

“During the Rath Yatra, don’t do it (release). After the Rath Yatra, you can release it,” the Justice Nagarathna-led Bench observed while hearing the plea filed by the makers seeking permission to release the film on Friday.

Permitting the petitioners to release the film after July 27, the apex court disposed of the plea.

The makers had moved the Supreme Court challenging the Odisha High Court’s decision restraining the release of the animated film on the ground that it did not conform to the Skanda Purana.

Senior advocate Devadatt Kamath, appearing for the producers before the apex court, had submitted that the film is an animated feature made for children and that the ban had caused crores of rupees in losses to the producers.

Earlier, the makers had maintained that ‘Mahaprabhu Jagannath’ was an extension of their animated series ‘Jay Jagannath’, created with “utmost honesty, sincerity and devotion” towards Lord Jagannath and his devotees.

They had also stated that the film had received a ‘U’ certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in Hindi, Odia and Telugu and expressed hope that audiences would be allowed to watch the film and decide for themselves.

The film, produced by Durga Prasad Dalai under the banner of Ele Animations Pvt. Ltd., was originally slated for a pan-India release on over 300 screens in Hindi, Odia and Telugu.

Helmed by Shripad Warkhedkar, the animated feature is positioned as a family entertainer based on the life and teachings of Lord Jagannath and follows the success of the television animated series Jay Jagannath.

–IANS

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