A poster of ‘Maharaj’
Hashtags such as ‘Boycott Netflix’ and ‘Ban Maharaj Film’ trended on social media on Thursday, with a section of users demanding a ban on ‘Maharaj’, claiming that the upcoming historical drama hurts religious sentiments.
The film, which premieres on Netflix on Friday, marks the debut of Bollywood star Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan. The hashtag “AamirKhan” was also trending on X.
According to the makers, the story of “Maharaja” is set in pre-independence India and is based on the Maharaj defamation case of 1862, which was sparked by “allegations of misconduct by a prominent person”.
Directed by Siddharth P Malhotra and produced by Aditya Chopra under YRF Entertainment, the film also stars Jaideep Ahlawat.
In an unusual move, the film is releasing on the streamer without any promotions. Except for the posters of Jaideep and Junaid, the makers have not released any teaser or trailer for the film.
They are standing next to each other, with Ahlawat’s character wearing a tilak on his forehead, while Junaid’s character, who is reportedly a journalist, is wearing a waistcoat.
VHP leader Sadhvi Prachi was one of the many x-users who demanded a ban on “Maharaj”.
“Will not tolerate insult to Sanatan Dharma. Maharaj, please ban the film. #BoycottNetflix,” Prachi wrote on the microblogging site.
According to a press release issued by Netflix last month, “Maharaj” is based on Karsandas Mulji, a journalist and social reformer who was a leading advocate for women’s rights and social reform.
A student of Mumbai’s Elphinstone College and a disciple of scholar-leader Dadabhai Naoroji, Mulji wrote on widow remarriage, stood up for the oppressed and sowed seeds of reform in society.
“All of this culminated in the Maharaj defamation case of 1862, which was sparked by allegations of misconduct by a prominent figure; the case attracted widespread attention and scrutiny, setting the stage for what many consider to be one of the most important legal battles of all time,” Streamer said.
Another X user asked, “How long will Hindu saints continue to be insulted in films?”
Another alleged that Aamir was launching his son in a Hindu musical film which was defaming sadhus and the Vallabh sect by citing an incident during British rule.
Using ‘#BoycottNetflix’, he said that such content could turn Hindu youth away from Sanatan Dharma and asked people to demand a ban on ‘Maharaj’.
One user wrote, “#BoycottNetflix… Can they dare to make movies on other communities, NO…!!!! They know the consequences. Hindus are still in deep sleep.”
However, an X user pointed out the double standards when it comes to films based on Hinduism and Islam.
“Since the film is ‘Maharaj’… it is on your deities and religion, you are calling for a boycott. When it comes to another community, the effort is to sell as much hatred as possible through films,” the user said, referring to controversial films like “72 Hooray” and “Humare Barah”.
The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the release of Annu Kapoor’s film “Humare Barah” on June 14. The film is accused of being derogatory to the Islamic faith and married Muslim women. The name of the film was also changed (it was earlier titled ‘Hum Do Hamare Barah’) as per the Central Board of Film Certification’s directive.
The call to boycott “Maharaj” appears to be a repeat of what happened with Aamir’s film “Lal Singh Chaddha”.
Many posts calling for a boycott of the 2022 film reminded of an old controversy from 2015, when Aamir had said that he was concerned about several incidents of rising intolerance in India.
Nayanthara-starrer “Annapurani” also ran into controversy for hurting religious sentiments when it became available on Netflix after its theatrical release. The makers eventually pulled the film from the streamer and the actress apologised on social media.
“Maharaj” also features Shalini Pandey and Sharvari in special roles. The film is part of a multi-year creative partnership between Netflix and Yash Raj Films’ digital arm YRF Entertainment.
