Gujarat High Court stays release of Netflix film ‘Maharaj’

The movie, starring Aamir Khan’s son Junaid in his debut role and based on the Maharaj libel case of 1862, was set to premiere on Netflix on June 14

The Gujarat High Court on Thursday temporarily stayed the release of the Netflix film Maharaj. The movie, starring Aamir Khan’s son Junaid in his debut role, was set to stream on Netflix from June 14. It is based on the colonial era Maharaj libel case of 1862.

As per reports, a petition was filed against the release of the film by members of the Vaishnavite Pustimargi sect who identify themselves as devotees of Bhagwan Shree Krishna. The petitioners claimed that the film, based on the historic Maharaj libel case, is likely to incite feelings of ‘hatred and violence’ against the Pustimargi sect, amounting to a breach of code of ethics under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 and the Self-regulation Code of Over the Top Technology (OTT).

The petitioners also submitted that they were denied a request for a screening by the makers nor provided clarifications about the film’s content.

The 1862 libel case centered on a clash between a Vaishnavite religious leader and the social reformer Karsandas Mulji. Karsandas, in an article in Satyaprakash, a Gujarati weekly circulated in Bombay, had exposed the godman’s sexual liaisons with his female devotees, thus drawing a defamation charge. The libel suit was ultimately dismissed by two British judges of the Supreme Court of Bombay.

The Gujarat HC has sent notices to Netflix India, Yash Raj Films, Netflix, Central Board of Certification and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and issued an ad-interim order halting the film’s release. The next hearing is on June 18.

Earlier, hashtags like ‘Boycott Netflix’ and ‘Ban Maharaj Film’ trended on social media with a section of users calling for a ban on Maharaj, claiming the film hurts religious sentiments.