As per a report in Bar and Bench, the Gujarat High Court on Thursday ordered an interim stay on the release of Junaid Khan's debut film 'Maharaj'.
Aamir Khan's son Junaid Khan's debut film 'Maharaj' landed into trouble ahead of its release. The movie was supposed to be premiered on Netflix on June 14. As per a report in Bar and Bench, the Gujarat High Court on Thursday ordered an interim stay on the release of 'Maharaj'.
The ad-interim order was issued by Justice Sangeetha K Vishen. The further hearing regarding the matter is scheduled on June 18.
The Court directed, "Considered the submissions. Issue notice to the respondents, returnable on 18.06.2024. Ad-interim relief is granted in terms of paragraph 11(C), till the next date of hearing''.
As per the same report, the order was passed on a plea which was filed on behalf of devotees of Lord Krishna and followers of the Pustimarg sect.
The petitioners alleged that 'Maharaj' is based on the Maharaj Libel Case of 1862. They said that case, which was decided by English judges of the Supreme Court of Bombay, had severely ''blasphemous remarks'' about Hinduism, Lord Krishna and devotional songs and hymns, which could affect the public order and stir up violence against the Hindu religion and the sect.
They also claimed that 'Maharaj's release was done secretively with no promotional events or trailer release so that they could hide the storyline. They also said that they appealed to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to put a stay on the film's release, but there was no response.
'Boycott Netflix' and 'Ban Maharaj Film' were trending on social media, as many wanted a ban on the film, claiming that Netflix has been promoting 'anti-Hindu' content.
An excerpt from the official description of the film read: “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.''
'Maharaj' has been directed by Siddharth P Malhotra and produced by Aditya Chopra. It also stars Jaideep Ahlawat.