'Maharaj' director says his intention was not to cause controversy but tell honest story of journalist with his film

IANS June 21, 2025 257 views

Siddharth Malhotra reveals Maharaj was crafted to honor journalist Karsandas Mulji’s legacy, not provoke debate. The film marks Aamir Khan’s son Junaid’s debut, clashing with Jaideep Ahlawat’s antagonist. Malhotra stresses the team’s focus on authenticity, rehearsing extensively to perfect characters. Streaming on Netflix, the historical drama critiques societal hypocrisy through Mulji’s 1862 libel case.

"Our intention was pure—we were making a story of a journalist who fought for women when MeToo didn’t exist." — Siddharth P. Malhotra
Mumbai, June 21: Director Siddharth P. Malhotra, whose film ‘Maharaj’ has clocked a year of its release, has shared that they didn’t intend to ruffle the feathers with the film, and only wanted to tell an honest story of a journalist.

Key Points

1

Film highlights 1862 Maharaj Libel Case involving reformist Karsandas Mulji

2

Junaid Khan trained rigorously for debut opposite Jaideep Ahlawat

3

Director emphasizes honest storytelling over controversy

4

Story critiques societal norms through historical lens

The director spoke with IANS recently, and shared how he pitted actors Junaid Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat. The film marked Junaid’s debut, and saw him going head to head with Jaideep, who essayed the titular role of the antagonist.

Talking about the process of approaching the characters, the director told IANS, “We had done a lot of rehearsals and reading. It is my responsibility as a director to bring Jaideep in front of the camera. You know what you are doing from the first day. So, if you could not deliver that confidence, it is your mistake as a director. Sharvari did not play such a role. She could have been a ham. She could have gone wrong if she would have done the acting loudly. But she did it well. We trained Sharvari and Junaid in the same house. It was a lot of hard work”.

He further mentioned, “Our intention was very pure. We were not making a film for controversy. We were making a story of a journalist who fought for women when the MeToo movement did not even exist. The message of the film is that you belong to your God”.

“Junaid and Karsan say that as a society, if we do not change our perspective, we will go on for thousands of years. The names of such gurus would have changed but the social evil would have stayed. Karsan, Junaid’s character, dared to change that”, he added.

‘Maharaj’ is based on journalist and social reformer Karsandas Mulji, and sees Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan’s son - Junaid playing the protagonist. Having studied at the Elphinstone College in Mumbai, Karsandas Mulji, was a protege of the scholar-leader Dadabhai Naoroji. He was a member of the Gujarati Gnanprasarak Mandalli (Gujarati Society for the Spread of Knowledge), and was a friend of prominent Gujarati reformists such as poet Narmad and educationist Mahipatram Neelkanth.

He came under fire of conservative Gujarati society of its time because of his article, which criticised Vaishnava Archaryas (Hindu religious leaders) for their behaviour. The article resulted in the Maharaj Libel Case in 1862 on which the film is based.

The film was released on Netflix.

Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the article:
R
Rahul K.
Saw Maharaj last year and it was quite impactful! Junaid Khan surprised me with his performance. The film handled a sensitive topic with maturity. We need more such stories from our history that make us think. 👏
P
Priya M.
While I appreciate the director's intentions, I felt some scenes could have been more nuanced. Historical films have responsibility towards accuracy and sensitivity. But overall, good effort in bringing Karsandas Mulji's story to new generation.
A
Arjun S.
Jaideep Ahlawat was brilliant as always! The film makes you think about how little has changed in some aspects of our society. More power to filmmakers who take risks with meaningful content instead of just masala entertainers.
S
Sunita P.
As someone from Gujarat, I knew about the Maharaj Libel Case but seeing it dramatized was eye-opening. However, I wish they had included more about Mulji's other reform works too. The film focused too much on just one episode of his life.
V
Vikram J.
The director says they didn't want controversy but chose a controversial topic - typical Bollywood logic! 😅 That said, the film does start important conversations about press freedom and social reform. Worth watching once.
N
Neha T.
Loved how the film highlighted our rich history of social reformers who fought against orthodoxy. More students should know about figures like Karsandas Mulji. Maybe the education ministry should consider including such stories in textbooks!

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Maharaj movie Siddharth P Malhotra Junaid Khan Jaideep Ahlawat Karsandas Mulji Netflix films Bollywood debuts