SC Refuses to Stay Release of Lord Jagannath Animated Film, Raises Concern Over Pleas to Ban Art

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to stay the release of the animated film 'Mahaprabhu Jagannath', and expressed concern over increasing petitions to ban art on the grounds of sensitivity. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan Supreme also remarked that the film does not, in any manner, undermine the devotion or reverence associated with Lord Jagannath. It dismissed the applications seeking to stop the release of the animated film while refusing to alter its July 17 order that allowed the producer to release the movie after the conclusion of the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri on July 28. The top court also rejected the contention that portraying Lord Jagannath in animated form was offensive, orally observing that if art is curtailed because it hurts the sensitivities of some people, then works based on the Ramayana and Mahabharata could never be created.

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration and a devotee had filed the applications to modify the July 17 order seeking to stop the release of the film. During the hearing today, the bench expressed concern over the growing tendency to seek judicial bans on art and creativity merely because they do not align with the sensitivities of certain individuals. The apex court cautioned that if such petitions continue to be filed, the court may eventually have to pass stringent orders barring any depiction of Hindu gods and goddesses in any artistic form. Pointing to the many versions of the Ramayana across India and the country's rich artistic traditions, Justice Nagarathna said that such a course would effectively stop films, television serials, paintings, sculptures, and other creative works based on Hindu mythology. "If there is such kind of sensibility and sensitivity, and two or three people to file a writ petition, we will pass an order that in respect of Hindu God, Goddess or Mythology, let there be no art form in India," said the bench.