Supreme Court refuses to ban Lord Jagannath film, defends artistic freedom

3 min readNew DelhiJul 29, 2026 05:08 PM IST The Odisha High Court had stayed the film over objections to its portrayal of Lord Jagannath and concerns over devotees' sentiments. (File Photo)The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed petitions seeking a ban on the release of the animated film Mahaprabhu Jagannath, observing that accepting the argument that it offends the religious sentiments of a few people would leave no room for any art or creativity in the country. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan refused to modify its earlier order allowing the release of the film and said it had already been granted a certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The court had earlier allowed the release of the film on or after July 28, following the conclusion of the R