Bhubaneswar: A fresh controversy has erupted in Odisha over the upcoming animated film ‘Mahaprabhu Jagannath’, with Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati calling for a ban on the movie ahead of its scheduled release on August 28.
The Shankaracharya has raised objections to the animated depiction of Lord Jagannath and other deities, expressing concerns over how characters, episodes and elements associated with the Jagannath tradition have been portrayed.
He has written to Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, who heads the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, urging appropriate action against the film.
The controversy has also received opposition from the Mukti Mandap Pandit Sabha. Members of the traditional scholarly body have reportedly approached the temple administration, seeking intervention and a ban on the film.
With the movie scheduled to reach theatres on Friday, the objections have intensified scrutiny of the filmmakers’ interpretation and representation of Lord Jagannath and the traditions associated with the Mahaprabhu.
The controversy has once again brought into focus the sensitive debate in Odisha over the portrayal of Lord Jagannath, the deities and the centuries-old Jagannath tradition in films and other forms of popular media.
-OdishaAge
