Aamir Khan's son Junaid Khan's debut film 'Maharaj' gets a stay order on it's release; "may hurt religious..."

The Gujarat High Court has put a hold on the release of "Maharaj," the debut film of Bollywood star Aamir Khan's son, Junaid Khan. The film was set to premiere on Netflix this Friday. However, followers of the Pushtimarg sect, a Vaishnava branch of Hinduism, claimed the film would offend their religious sentiments, prompting the court's intervention.

On Thursday, Justice Sangeeta Vishen passed the order to stay the film’s release. The court has also issued notices to the Central Government, Netflix, and Yash Raj Films, the producers of the movie, scheduling the next hearing for June 18.

The controversy began when eight members of the Pushtimarg sect filed a petition against the film after reading articles that suggested the movie is based on the infamous Maharaj Libel Case of 1862. The petitioners argue that the film, if released, would deeply hurt their religious beliefs and could potentially disturb public order by inciting violence against the followers of the sect.

Senior advocate Mihir Joshi, representing the petitioners, explained that the movie draws from the "Libel Case of 1862." This case, decided by British judges, involved a legal battle between a Vaishnavite religious leader and social reformer Karsandas Mulji. Mulji had alleged in a Gujarati weekly that the religious leader had inappropriate relations with female devotees. Joshi pointed out that the judgment from the British-era court contained scandalous and defamatory language that could offend followers of the sect.

The petitioners further argued that the film was being released in a secretive manner, without a trailer or promotional events, possibly to avoid backlash regarding its controversial content. They claimed that the court’s judgment from the 1862 case included blasphemous remarks against Lord Krishna and critical comments on devotional songs and hymns, which they believed could incite anger among the sect’s followers.

"Maharaj" features Junaid Khan in his debut role, along with Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharvari Wagh, and Shalini Pandey in key roles. The film’s subject matter has already stirred significant controversy, and its future release remains uncertain as the legal proceedings continue.