Makers of Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan’s debut film ‘Maharaj’ to challenge Gujarat HC stay order

AHMEDABAD: The makers of Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan’s debut film ‘Maharaj’ are now set to challenge the Gujarat High Court’s stay order that has paused the release of the movie till June 18.

The movie was set to premiere on Netflix on June 14. ‘Maharaj’ landed in legal trouble after an urgent petition was filed in the Gujarat High Court regarding controversial comments about the Vaishnava sect and the contention of matters that hurt the sentiments of Hindus. After preliminary hearing of the petition, the High Court granted an interim injunction against the release of the film ‘Maharaj’.

Shailesh Patwari filed a petition in the High Court on June 13 regarding the film ‘Maharaj’. He said, “This film is portraying Hindu gods and shlokas in the wrong way and is trying to increase the gap between Hindus and Muslims. This should not happen. I have told this to the High Court and made an appeal and asked to ban this film”.

He added, “The film producer and the rest of the team chose the OTT platform so that the film is released in the public domain all over the world and this would have caused a lot of damage to Hindu society and Vaishnav society. The Gujarat High Court has given a temporary stay on the film till June 18”.

#WATCH | Ahmedabad, Gujarat: An urgent petition filed in the Gujarat High Court over the film ‘Maharaj’

Petitioner Shailesh Bhai Patwari says, “We had filed a petition yesterday, on 13th June. We told the Court what are they saying about our Hindu gods, that they are presenting… pic.twitter.com/s8EqKqvIT1

— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2024

The producer and others filed a petition with the Court against the interim injunction. The High Court decided to hear all the petitions on June 18. The moratorium will continue at this stage.

An application was filed in the High Court by the devotees of Lord Shri Krishna and the followers of Vallabhacharyaji with allegation made by the Pushtimarga sect that the film ‘Maharaj’ is based on the Maharaj defamation case of 1862 and that it contains words and comments that hurt the faith and sentiments of the Vaishnava-Pushtimarga sect and Hinduism.

Due to this, the release of the movie will have adverse effects and there is a fear of inciting violence against the Hindu religion. This film is based on Maharaj Badankshi’s case in 1862 in which the British judges of the Bombay Supreme Court gave a verdict condemning Hinduism and made blasphemous comments against the hymns of Lord Krishna.

“The release of the movie based on Maharaj Libel Case of 1862, is likely to incite feelings of hatred and violence against the Pustimargi sect which, would be in breach of code of ethics under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Rules of 2021’) and the Self-regulation Code of Over the Top Technology (OTT)”, read the petition.

‘Maharaj’ is directed by Siddharth P Malhotra and bankrolled by Aditya Chopra under the YRF Entertainment banner. The film also stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharvari and Shalini Pandey.

The film is set in 1862, a time when there were only three universities in India. The film’s official logline reads, “Rabindranath Tagore is a year old and the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 continues to fan the flames of independence. Against all odds, one man takes a courageous stand in a landmark legal battle, a true story that’s now come to light in Maharaj — more than 160 years later.”

Karsandas Mulji, a journalist and social reformer, was a pioneering advocate for women’s rights and social reform. A student at Elphinstone College in Mumbai and a protege of the scholar-leader Dadabhai Naoroji, he wrote on widow remarriage, stood up for the oppressed, and sowed the seeds of reform in society.

Netflix and Yash Raj Films showcase Karsandas Mulji’s acts of bravery in ‘Maharaj’, which was to debut on June 14. Based on the libel case, the film introduces audiences to Junaid Khan in his acting debut. Maharaj was slated to release on June 14 on Netflix. (ANI)