Gujarat High Court Puts Brakes On Release of Aamir Khan's Son Junaid's Film 'Maharaj'

The release of the Hindi movie 'Maharaj', the debut movie of Aamir Khan's eldest son Junaid, has been halted following an order from the Gujarat High Court on Friday.

The movie produced by Yashraj Films was scheduled for release on Netflix. The court has issued notices to Yashraj Films, Netflix, and other parties.

"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," Justice Live Law quoted Justice Sangeetha K Vishen as saying.

Responding to a plea submitted by devotees of Lord Krishna and adherents of the Pustimarg sect, authorities made the decision, citing concerns that the film could disturb public order and provoke violence against their religious group and Hinduism at large.

The petitioners argued that the movie draws from the controversial Libel Case of 1862, which reportedly contained egregious blasphemies against Hinduism, Lord Krishna, and sacred devotional texts, as adjudicated by English justices of the Supreme Court of Bombay.

Additionally, the complaint notes that the film is scheduled for release without adequate promotional materials, such as a trailer, resulting in limited access to the storyline, which could cause significant offense to sentiments. The plea stated that due to the widespread accessibility of the OTT platform, it would be exceedingly challenging to mitigate the harm inflicted by the film's release.

In response, Justice Sangeeta Vishen of the Gujarat High Court issued an interim order halting the movie's release in any form. The case is now set for a hearing on June 18.