'Wasn't Made For Controversy': Siddharth Malhotra Reflects On Junaid, Sharvari's Maharaj
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Director Siddharth P Malhotra's reflected on one year of Junaid Khan, Sharvari's film, Maharaj. He addressed the many controversies it faced before release.
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.
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.
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June 21, 2025, 18:57 IST
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