Maharaj director Siddharth P Malhotra has opened up on the controversy around the release of the Junaid Khan-starrer
Junaid Khan’s Bollywood debut Maharaj was released on Netflix last month but not without much drama. The release of Maharaj faced a brief hurdle when the Gujarat High Court imposed a temporary stay on its release hours before it was to begin streaming. The stay came after petition from Hindu groups claiming the film hurt religious sentiments. Eventually, the stay was lifted and the film released on Netflix. Junaid and the film’s director Siddharth P Malhotra have now opened up on the release and what went into the making of the film.
Maharaj is inspired by a real legal case from 1862 called the Maharaj Libel Case. It stars Junaid as journalist Karsandas Mulji and Jaideep Ahlawat as Jadunath Maharaj, along with Shalini Pandey and Sharvari in supporting roles. Talking about his emotional rollercoaster journey of film release, director Siddharth P Malhotra told ANI, “This is the story of an unsung hero that should be told. This is the whole journey of a hero. And he is fighting for women's rights, for everything. So a script was made, it was approved, Junaid was narrated, Jaideep sir and all the other actors came. The film was also made. But the period of release was very painful.”
He added, “For waiting and then what happened because they say, never judge a book by its cover. So we got a cover, a poster. And the judgement was done. So that was a big pain. I cried a lot. I literally cried. My father Prem Kishen, my mother, everyone came home and supported me. But now I am when the film was released, for which we had made the film with a pure intention for that it is being judged and it is being seen that there is nothing anti in it, it is pro-religion it is pro-humanity. I am happy that Junaid is getting a lot of praise, Jaideep sir is getting a lot of praise, writing is getting lauded, dialogues are being quoted, my work is also being appreciated.”
During the conversation with ANI, Junaid opened up about how he was inspired by the story of Karsandas Mulji, "He was a real person who in 1862 was talking about those things which even today are happening. It happens in society today. And it happens in every society. And at that time he was fighting about it. When we didn't have that much knowledge. So I found the character and the story very inspirational. That there is a man who had so much understanding back then."
The film was produced by Yash Raj Films (YRF) Entertainment. After the stay on its release was lifted, YRF thanked the judiciary through an official statement. "We are grateful to the judiciary for allowing the release of 'Maharaj,' a film that celebrates one of the most important social reformers of our country, Karsandas Mulji. Yash Raj Films has a 50-year-old legacy of championing India, its stories, its people, culture & heritage. We have never produced a film that tarnished the reputation of our country or our countrymen,” read the statement. Maharaj is currently streaming on Netflix.
With inputs from ANI
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 "Jaideep Ahlawat and Junaid Khan in Maharaj")
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