Bhubaneswar: The trailer of an upcoming animation film on Lord Jagannath has triggered a controversy, with Puri king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb on Thursday alleging that the portrayal distorts sacred facts about the deity.Scheduled for release on July 10 in Odia, Hindi and Telugu, the trailer has drawn sharp criticism from the king, who urged the Bhubaneswar-based production house to consult the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) before proceeding.“The official trailer circulating on social media depicts a completely fictitious story of Shree Jagannath Mahaprabhu, contrary to the narrations in our scriptures,” Deb said.As chairperson of the temple managing committee, he stressed that any “propagation of the glory of the deity” must conform to texts composed by Maharshi Vedavyasa.“A distorted presentation of Mahaprabhu’s glory will hurt the sentiments of countless devotees worldwide. I appeal to the producers to postpone the release until the content is authenticated by experts appointed by the Jagannath temple administration,” the king added.Responding to the backlash, the production house said it would arrange a special screening for the king and follow his advice. “As per our conversation with him, we will arrange a special screening of the film at a time convenient to him. Till then, we humbly request everyone to wait for further updates. We hold the highest respect for the concern raised by the Gajapati Maharaja,” the studio said in a written statement.The SJTA echoed the king’s concerns, warning of action if the film is released without corrections. “Lord Jagannath is inseparably linked to the soul and emotions of every Odia. Any portrayal in poor light is condemnable,” a temple official said.Servitors of the shrine have also demanded immediate withdrawal of the trailer. “We learnt that the animation studio is based in Bhubaneswar. Despite being an Odia, the filmmaker has depicted the lord in an erroneous manner,” said servitor Binayak Dasmohapatra.
