Produced by Aditya Chopra under YRF Entertainment, the movie, directed by Siddharth P Malhotra, is based on the Maharaj Libel Case of 1862.
A poster of 'Maharaj'. (X)
A segment of social media users has called for a ban on the period drama, Maharaj, which features Bollywood star Aamir Khan’s son, Junaid Khan in his debut role, just one day before its Netflix premiere.
Hashtags such as “Ban Maharaj Film”, and “Boycott Netflix” began trending on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday morning and continued into the evening, ahead of the film’s premiere on 14 June. The film, directed by Siddharth P Malhotra, known for the Rani Mukerji-starrer Hichki (2018), has been accused of hurting religious sentiments.
In an unusual move, Maharaj, also starring Jaideep Ahlawat, is being released on the streaming platform, sans promotions. No teasers or trailers have been released, except for a poster featuring Jaideep and Junaid Khan.
In the poster, Jaideep Ahlawat’s character sports a ’tilak’ on his forehead, while Junaid’s character, reportedly a journalist, is dressed in a waistcoat.
VHP leader Sadhvi Prachi is among the many users on X calling for a ban on Maharaj. Until when “Hindu saints” will continue to be insulted in films, asked another X user.
According to a press release issued by Netflix, 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 streamer said.
Junaid Khan and Aamir Khan. (Supplied)
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on 13 June stayed the release of Annu Kapoor’s movie Hamare Baarah (2024), after taking note of allegations that the film is derogatory to the Islamic faith and married Muslim women. The film also underwent a title change (earlier called Hum Do Humare Baraah) as per a directive by the Central Board of Film Certification.
The boycott calls for Maharaj appear to be a recap of what happened with Aamir’s film Laal Singh Chaddha (2022).
Many posts calling for a boycott of the 2022 movie recalled an earlier controversy in 2015 when Aamir had said he was alarmed by several incidents of growing intolerance in India.
Nayanthara-starrer Annapoorani (2023) also courted controversy for hurting religious sentiments when it became available on Netflix after its theatrical run. The makers eventually pulled down the film from the streamer and the actor issued an apology on social media.
Maharaj also stars Shalini Pandey with Sharvari in a special appearance. The film is part of the multi-year creative partnership between Netflix and Yash Raj Films’ digital arm YRF Entertainment.
(Edited by S Subhakeerthana)
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