"Maharaj": Junaid Khan's Quiet Debut Tackles Religious Controversy In A Netflix Hit

"Dharm se zyaada koi hinsak yudh nahin hai " (A battle fought in the name of religion is by far the worst) is a telling line from Siddharth P. Malhotra's "Maharaj.".

The film was inspired by the life and times of journalist and social reformer Karsandas Mulji, who challenged godman Jadunath Maharaj through an article in his newspaper "Satyaprakash" for allegedly sexually abusing his female devotees.

The film, an adaptation of Saurabh Shah's Gujarati play of the same name, highlights the sequence of events that led to the famous Maharaj libel case of 1862.

The film, which could well have been a brave effort at telling a meaningful narrative in these heavily censored times, became a scapegoat at the hands of the moral police. Days before its release on Netflix. The demands of the Vaishnavite Pushtimarg sect demanding a stay on the film were overruled, with the Gujarat High Court affirming the film was purely based on facts.

Describing it as nothing short of heartbreak and heartburn, filmmaker Siddharth P. Malhotra says that at the end of the day, the film was addressing the fact the fact that faith is a personal relationship between an individual and God.

"We had been very cautious while scripting it, and nowhere was our intent to offend anyone or anybody.

When things go wrong in society, even if they are so-called ordained by someone, we have the right to question them. The film has a universal message and was a David and Goliath story for me. It was never about religion for me or about a community or a sect. I was intrigued by the story of a man who, in 1862, stood up for women's rights. We have just recently started lending our voice to the "Me Too" movement, but Mulji was doing this 150 years ago. What an amazing person to have stood up for women's empowerment and dignity. So my approach was to understand what would have happened in this man's life to make him the man he was. So for me, it is Karsandas Mulji's journey and not Maharaj Libel's case. Instead, it was the incidents that happened around Mulji, be it about his fiancee or those around him, that led him to challenge Maharaj. The film is a tribute to this one man's conviction, integrity, and belief in his ideologies. I just felt many made assumptions about the narrative before even watching the film, and that hurt me."

The film marks the rather low-key debut of Aamir Khan's son, Junaid. The 31-year-old reprises the role of Karsandas Mulji and is overwhelmed with the accolades pouring his way. The 31-year-old's mannerisms, including his voice, remind one of his father, Aamir Khan. One can't help but ask him, "Papa kya kehte hain"?

"He likes everything; he is an audience member who, when he watches something, wants to enjoy it. So inherently, he likes most films, barring his own, since that's the only time he is not an artist," Junaid says with a laugh, but reveals he is not a perfectionist like Dad Aamir.

"Everyone has their own way of doing things, as life pans out differently for everyone. Let's see how things pan out. I have just begun my journey and cannot wait to see where it takes me. As of now, I am enjoying and keeping myself busy with work."

Unlike the fanfare that usually accompanies the debut of No Kid's and the promotional hype that follows suit, a chorus of industry shoutouts was missing in Junaid's case. An atypical debut apart, neither were there any headlines or chatter about his acting aspirations.

"I have been doing theater since 2017 and have a little experience with acting, but I guess there was a perception issue that I wanted to be a director since I have assisted on films too. But the fact is, I am a terrible dancer, so this was a suitable debut for me. He acknowledges that tapping into what kind of person Karsandas Mulji was was a challenge due to the lack of information on the scribe's personal life." Siddharth Sir helped, and I also tried to understand Mulji's personality from his beliefs and writings. Those gave me an insight into the kind of man he was."

Jaideep Ahlawat steals the show with his portrayal of Jadunath Maharaj. The 'Patal Lok' star confesses the body transformation apart; it was also a challenge to get into the mind space of Jadunath Maharaj.

"It was physically very challenging to transform myself. I had not been working out for a long time. The other challenge was to play Jadunath, because he thinks very differently and regards everyone with disdain. He has a superiority complex and is very guarded with his emotions. I had to convince myself to understand this man/thought process who is so full of himself and justifies all his actions because he regards himself as whatever he does. So I had to make it convincing for myself and then for the audience as well." Siddharth P. Malhotra acknowledges that casting Jaideep and Junaid was a no-brainer.

"We needed someone earnest to play Karsan. As for Jaideep, he is one of the finest actors we have had so far. I regard Irrfan as the best, and after him, I think it's Jaideep."

With a strong word of mouth, Maharaj has managed to maintain its position in Netflix's top 5. Though a bold effort in these times, the film takes a safe route but delivers a strong message.