Gujarat High Court has imposed a stay on the film, Maharaj. It marks the acting debut of Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan and was supposed to hit theatres on June 14. However, the High Court has halted its release following a plea by a Hindu group, which claimed that the movie could incite violence and accused it of “disrespecting” Sanatan Dharma.
As reported by 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.” Reportedly, the petition claimed that the film could create a disturbance in public and could incite violence. It further alleged that the film makes “seriously blasphemous comments against Lord Krishna as well as devotional songs and hymns.”
The complaint also claimed that the makers of Maharaj have intentionally not released the film’s trailer so that there is limited access to the story. Since Maharaj’s release has now been halted, the next court hearing will take place on June 18.
Earlier this week, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Sadhvi Prachi also called for the ban on Maharaj. “Won’t tolerate the disrespect of Sanatan Dharma (Sanatan Dharma ka apmaan sehen nahin karenge). Ban Maharaj Film. #BoycottNetflix,” he wrote on X.
Maharaj is set in pre-independent India and is based on the Maharaj Libel Case of 1862, which was ignited by “allegations of misconduct by a prominent figure”. According to a press release issued by Netflix last month, Maharaj follows Karsandas Mulji, a journalist and social reformer, who 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, Mulji 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,” the streaming platform said. Directed by Siddharth P Malhotra and produced by Aditya Chopra under YRF Entertainment, the movie also stars Jaideep Ahlawat.
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