The release of Aamir Khan's eldest son Junaid's debut film Maharaj has hit a snag. As per a report by India Today, the Gujarat High Court has now stayed the release of the film following a plea by a Hindu group, which claimed that the movie could potentially incite violence. Maharaj also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and is directed by Siddharth P Malhotra. 

The controversy surrounding Maharaj

The report states that 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.” The petition was based on grounds that the film, which revolves around the Maharaj Libel Case of 1862, can potentially cause rupture in public order and even incite violence against the followers of the sect.

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.”

More details

Meanwhile, the complaint also points out that the film is been planned to release without sufficient promotional materials, including a trailer, so that there is limited access to the story. That could cause serious hurt to the sentiments. 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.

As per the synopsis shared by the streaming giant, “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.

Ahead of the release, hashtags such as 'Boycott Netflix', and 'Ban Maharaj Film' trended in X.