The
Gujarat
high
court
has
stayed
the
release
of
Maharaj,
Aamir
Khan’s
son
Junaid’s
debut
film,
on
Netflix
after
followers
of
Pushtimarg,
a
Vaishnava
sect
of
Hinduism,
claimed
that
it
would
hurt
their
religious
sentiments.
Justice
Sangeeta
Vishen
passed
an
order
against
the
film
slated
for
release
on
June
14.
The
bench
also
issued
notices
to
the
Centre,
Netflix
and
Yash
Raj
Films,
which
has
produced
the
film,
and
posted
the
matter
for
further
hearing
on
June
18.
Eight
members
of
the
Pushtimarg
sect
filed
a
petition
against
the
release
after
they
came
across
articles
about
the
film,
apparently
based
on
the
Maharaj
libel
case
of
1862.
The
petitioners
have
claimed
that
their
religious
sentiments
would
be
‘seriously
hurt’
if
the
movie
is
permitted
to
be
released,
and
it
is
likely
to
affect
public
order
and
incite
violence
against
followers
of
the
sect.
Appearing
for
the
petitioners,
senior
advocate
Mihir
Joshi
submitted
that
the
film
was
based
on
the
libel
case
of
1862,
which
was
heard
and
decided
by
British
judges.
He
further
said
that
a
reference
was
made
to
the
excerpts
from
the
court’s
judgment
containing
scandalous
and
defamatory
language,
which
affects
the
followers
of
the
sect.
The
petitioners
pointed
out
that
the
British-era
court
‘castigates
the
Hindu
religion
and
makes
seriously
blasphemous
comments
against
Lord
Krishna
as
well
as
the
devotional
songs
and
hymns’.
They
also
argued
that
the
movie
sought
to
be
released
in
a
secretive
manner
without
a
trailer
or
promotional
events
to
avoid
any
access
to
the
storyline.
Earlier,
the
petitioners
had
approached
the
ministry
of
information
and
broadcasting,
requesting
to
take
immediate
measures
to
block
the
film’s
release.
But
there
was
no
response.
The
petitioners
claimed
that
the
release
of
the
movie
would
be
in
breach
of
the
code
of
ethics
under
the
Information
Technology
(Intermediary
Guidelines
and
Digital
Media
Ethics
Code)
Rules,
and
the
self-regulation
code
of
Over
the
Top
Technology
(OTT).
A
representation
was
also
made
in
April
to
Yash
Raj
Films
and
Netflix
by
some
other
trust
for
a
pre-release
private
screening
but
there
was
no
response.
Senior
advocate
Joshi
said
the
refusal
strengthened
the
petitioners’
apprehension,
and
considering
the
secrecy
maintained
by
the
respondent
filmmakers,
an
adverse
inference
can
be
drawn.
Considering
the
reach
of
OTT
platforms
and
immediate
distribution
worldwide,
it
would
be
impossible
to
rectify
the
damage
caused
by
the
release,
the
petitioners
stated.
The
1862
libel
case
was
centred
on
a
clash
between
a
Vaishnavite
religious
leader
and
social
reformer,
Karsandas
Mulji,
who,
in
an
article
in
a
Gujarati
weekly,
had
alleged
that
the
godman
had
sexual
liaisons
with
his
female
devotees.
Meanwhile,
hashtags
like
‘Boycott
Netflix’
and
‘Ban
Maharaj
Film’
have
started
trending
on
X.
VHP
leader
Sadhvi
Prachi
was
one
of
the
many
X
users
who
called
for
a
ban.
‘Won’t
tolerate
the
disrespect
of
Sanatan
Dharma.
Ban
Maharaj
Film.
#BoycottNetflix,’
Prachi
posted
on
X.
Directed
by
Siddharth
P
Malhotra
and
produced
by
Aditya
Chopra
under
YRF
Entertainment,
the
movie
also
stars
Jaideep
Ahlawat.
Unlike
a
mainstream
film
launching
a
star
son,
there
were
no
trailers
or
teasers,
barring
a
poster
featuring
Jaideep
and
Junaid.
While
Jaideep’s
character
sports
a
tilak
on
his
forehead,
Junaid’s
journalist
character
is
dressed
in
a
waistcoat.
Maharaj
also
stars
Shalini
Pandey
with
Sharvari
in
a
special
appearance.
According
to
a
press
release
issued
by
Netflix
last
month,
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’.
It
follows
Karsandas
Mulji,
a
journalist
and
social
reformer,
who
was
a
pioneering
advocate
for
women’s
rights
and
social
reform.
‘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,’
Netflix
said.
