Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan made his cinema debut last month with ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’. MaharajA historical film that, despite its royal title, saw little pageantry or fanfare. Directed by Siddharth P Malhotra, the film stars 31-year-old Junaid as Karsandas Mulji, a 19th-century social reformer and journalist who is embroiled in a defamation suit with a powerful cleric. The film was also dragged to court when members of a religious sect filed a petition claiming it could hurt sentiments and incite violence: it was cleared for streaming by the Gujarat High Court on June 27.
Junaid admits, “We were all a bit upset when the film’s release was postponed. I am thankful to the judiciary for seeing the film for what it is and allowing it to release.” In fact, Maharaj — which was certified by the CBFC in 2023 — didn’t cause much trouble after its release, with the right-wing uproar on social media dying down easily after the high court verdict. It was a fate, so to speak, that Laal Singh Chaddhafeaturing Junaid’s father, who was the target of a brutal boycott campaign in 2022, or AnnapoornaniWhich came into controversy earlier this year for allegedly hurting religious sentiments and was removed from Netflix.
acceptance of Maharaj Junaid says the appreciation from the wider public is encouraging. “This is a film made on a sensitive subject that is close to many people. Our director Siddharth sir has handled the subject very responsibly. Our intention was never to hurt people. We would never have been able to get our message across that way.”
Reviews for Maharaj Most people were not enthusiastic about the film, with most criticism being directed at its conventional screenplay and bland characterization, although Jaideep Ahlawat received praise for his fine performance as the film’s villain Maharaj Jadunathji. For instance, a rousing scene in which the hero and villain argue with each other in the pouring rain is a dramatic scene that fits the high-fi commercial cinema of the 1970s.
“We shot that scene for three consecutive nights, spending 12 hours in the rain at a stretch,” says Junaid. “I didn’t expect it to be so heavy. The whole atmosphere of the scene is very heightened. Reality can’t be a barometer for it. It had to be graphed very precisely, and Jaideep sir had a great understanding of how to pull it off.”
In the film, Junaid’s character Karsandas gets involved in his campaign against Jadunathji after his fiancée commits suicide. Thus Kishori (Shalini Pandey) becomes a useless accessory to further the hero’s journey. This is a disturbing plot point in the film, although, as Junaid suggests, it may be based to some extent on historical facts.
Shalini Pandey and Junaid in ‘Maharaj’
“The film takes place in the 1860s and we have to see it in the socio-cultural context in which it is set. As per my understanding, the real Karsandas had a fiancée who died by suicide. He got married again and his second wife also died in an accident. In fact, Viraj, the character played by Sharvari Wagh, was his third wife.”
Junaid, the son of Aamir and Reena Dutta, studied at the HR College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai and later enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. He joined his acting school’s renowned repertory theatre, where he performed contemporary plays. Anna in the tropics, deer and chickens And The Last Days of Judas IscariotReturning to Mumbai he acted in a production of Euripides. MedeaDirected by his sister Ira Khan. “Theatre taught me how to feel the light and how to capture it because once the performance starts it cannot be adjusted,” says Junaid. “It was an interesting learning that came in handy on film sets.”
Junaid admits that being Aamir Khan’s son has given him a huge boost in his career (Aamir himself, who is the son of filmmaker Tahir Hussain, says the same). Maharaj Recently ranked in the top 10 across 16 countries on Netflix, Junaid already has two more films lined up: one dayco-starring Sai Pallavi and shot in Japan, and its Hindi remake love todayHe will also perform in a production called Totally unconventional On 1 September at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai.
Junaid Khan will be on stage with ‘Strictly Unconventional’ on September 1 at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai.
Discussing his father’s work he said Talaash (2012) is considered one of the actor’s best performances. “I’m not a big fan of his ’90s work,” he laughs. “I really liked Style of ones And SarfaroshBut Festival And Raja Hindustani Not so much. Should I have said that?”
“I come from a very privileged family,” the young actor added. “My father is one of the biggest and most loved superstars in the country and beyond. This is a fact that pervades all aspects of my life and I cannot pretend otherwise. All I can do is try and handle it wisely and channel it to my best performance.”
