Aamir Khan's son Junaid's debut film 'Maharaj' lands in legal trouble, Gujarat HC stays release

Poster of Maharaj

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan's son Junaid Khan is all set to make his acting debut with his first film set to be released today. However, ahead of its OTT release on Netflix, the film named 'Maharaj' has landed in a legal soup. Hours before its Netflix release, reports have surfaced that the Gujarat High Court has called for a stay on the film's release following a plea by a Hind group who claimed that the movie could potentially incite violence. 'Maharaj' also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and is directed by Siddharth P Malhotra.

According to a report in India Today, the stay order was issued on a petition filed on behalf of devotees of Lord Krishna and followers of Vallabhacharya, which is the Pushtimarg sect." As per the petition, the firm that narrates the story of the Maharaj Libel Case of 1862 can potentially incite violence against the followers of the sect and cause chaos in public order.

The petition points out that the Maharaj Libel Case of 1862 was based on allegations of misconduct by a prominent figure and ruled over by the English Judges of the Supreme Court of Bombay. It makes "seriously blasphemous comments against Lord Krishna as well as devotional songs and hymns."

The petitioners also highlighted that the film is being released with insufficient promotional materials including a missing trailer. The petitioners believed that the reason behind the same was to provide limited access to the story of the film. On these grounds, Justice Sangeeta Vishen of the Gujarat High Court passed an interim order staying the release of the movie in any manner whatsoever. The matter has been now scheduled for a hearing on June 18.

What is the film about?

According to the synopsis shared by Netflix, "The year is 1862, a time when there were only three universities in India, 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 protégé of the scholar-leader Dadabhai Naoroji, he wrote on widow remarriage, stood up for the oppressed, and sowed the seeds of reform in society. It all came to a head in the Maharaj Libel Case of 1862, which was ignited by allegations of misconduct by a prominent figure, the case garnered widespread attention and scrutiny, setting the stage for what many consider to be one of the most significant legal battles of all time," it added.