Maharaj Movie Review: Junaid Khan's Debut is a Major Letdown Barring Jaideep Ahlawat's Chilling Performance (LatestLY Exclusive)

Maharaj Movie Review: Junaid Khan makes an uncharacteristic debut with Maharaj, a period drama directed by Siddharth P Malhotra (We Are Family, Hichki). 'Uncharacteristic' because who would have thought Aamir Khan's son would have his first film released directly on OTT, despite the backing of Yash Raj Films? Moreover, Maharaj is arriving on Netflix without a trailer (at least Suhana Khan's debut came with enough promotions), which is unusual for a star-kid launch. Whether it is due to the controversial subject, which may be touchy to many blind believers, or because the rawness of the debutant would be evident even before the film's release, that would remain a mystery. Maharaj: Junaid Khan's Debut Film Is Inspired by 1862's 'Maharaj Libel Case Trial', Here's All You Need to Know About the Real-life Legal Drama.

Maharaj is based on the real-life 19th-century reformer Karsandas Mulji and the courtroom trial that turned him into a hero. The film establishes him as a reformist from childhood. The narrator, Sharad Kelkar, Bollywood's go-to guy for this job since Amitabh Bachchan has cut down on his assignments, informs us that a young Karsandas even hated the 'das' in his name, as it means 'servant'.

As a young man with fiery revolutionary ideas brought up in Bombay, Karsandas writes articles that impress the revolutionaries of the era and does not follow untouchability, unlike the people of his community. He is engaged to Kishori (Shalini Pandey), who holds the exact opposite ideals. She is deeply pious, heavily traditionalist, and like many around her, blindly devoted to godman Jadunath Maharaj or JJ (Jaideep Ahlawat), the main 'maharaj' of the haveli where the devotees of Karsandas' Gujarati community go to worship.

In JJ, Karsandas seeks his first major revolution when he discovers that the godman used his fiancée for sexual liaisons, which she willingly agrees to in the name of devotion. And she is not the only one he has sexually exploited. Soon, Karsandas finds himself entangled with JJ in a battle of religious dogmas that extends from the haveli to the court, challenging the blind faith of the devotees along the way.

Maharaj Movie Review - Does the Film Insult Hinduism?

Certain Hindu right-wing organisations are already worried about the depiction of their religion in Maharaj even before its release. I don't know how much value my words have, but the film does as much harm to Hinduism as movies like OMG and PK have done in the past—which, in my opinion, is shoonya... zero. If you are someone who believes that religion is not restricted to traditions that make no sense or individuals who equate themselves to gods, Maharaj has no objectionable scenes. But if you are someone who is lost in blind beliefs and dogmas and thinks certain people are divine, then you are likely to be outraged.

Maharaj Movie Review - A Weak Attempt At Making a Strong Statement

Here's where the main problem with Maharaj lies: I don't believe it is a strong, powerful, or compelling film that would make the second category of believers change their opinion (which is definitely an agenda of the film). Yes, some of the dialogues where Karsandas makes clear distinctions between religion and traditions are resonant enough to turn into pictorial memes to send to your bigoted family WhatsApp groups. Yet, in its attempt to be 'liberal,' Maharaj tiptoes around the diciness of religious criticism as if it is walking on broken eggshells. There are even a couple of scenes where, in trying to sound progressive, the movie takes an actual regressive stance. For example, in one scene, Karsandas says he has the qualities of all castes that make him see everything clearly, yet he associates Shudras with cleanliness.

While the dialogues are still the most bearable aspect of the film, apart from a certain actor I will elaborate on later, Maharaj falters in making a powerful statement overall. A major part of the blame falls on its execution. Director Siddharth P Malhotra certainly had a golden subject that deserved a tighter, more lucid treatment that would have created a stronger resonance and impact. Instead, Maharaj mostly feels like a predictable season of Aashram confined to two hours using pencil-sketched characters to drive the plot, including its protagonist. The melodramatic treatment does the film no good, nor does it help the hero's emotional journey, thanks to some poorly depicted supporting characters.

Maharaj Movie Review - A Let-Down of a Climax

Even though the film felt more like a slog in its two acts, I hoped Maharaj would find its footing in its final half-hour, where it would get into its most interesting part - the 1862 Maharaj Libel Case trial in the Supreme Court of Bombay. Here, I once again faced major disappointment. The trial is treated in a schmaltzy manner with a lot of sermonising and actually less evidence-poking.

It was then I realised that the makers of Maharaj have taken blind belief and devotion too lightly. It may aim to make compelling digs against the cult following of certain contentious present-day gurus like Ram Rahim Singh, but it thinks a mere speech is enough to change people's minds with years of conditioning to make them 'sightless'. This is despite the movie showing how families are willing to let their wives and daughters sleep with a lusty godman in the name of divine absolution, and others pay to watch that deed for pious purposes. The impact feels as fake as some of the set designs.

On a side-note, since it was a defamation case filed against Karsandas Mulji by JJ, why was it made to look like JJ was on trial? Karsandas' lawyer (Jamie Alter, whose clear Hindi stands out jarringly against the rest of the characters) even tries to put him in the accused box.

Maharaj Movie Review - Junaid Disappoints, Jaideep Saves the Show

Another major problem lies with the young lead actor. I don't want to be harsh on a budding actor like Junaid Khan, but the role in Maharaj felt too heavy for him. The actor feels too raw and his performance feels too rehearsed to be convincing or captivating, especially when pitted against someone like Jaideep Ahlawat.

Ahlawat, on the other hand, consumes his antagonist role with a chilling ease, looking both sinister and larger-than-life without the need to be theatrical. In most scenes, he merely carries a smirk, but even that smirk conveys a gamut of emotions. The best example of how these two actors fare is in the courtroom climax, where Junaid gets a long monologue that he delivers almost emotionlessly, while Jaideep conveys enough malice and anguish with just a handful of lines. Maharaj: Gujarat High Court Lifts Stay on Aamir Khan’s Son Junaid Khan’s Debut Film, Asserts ‘It Doesn’t Hurt or Offend Sentiments’.

As for the rest of the supporting cast, Shalini Pandey has a crucial role in the protagonist's reason for revolt, but she doesn't get to do much with her character and is soon sidelined. I loved the enthusiastic performance of Sharvari Wagh (billed as a special appearance, though her role is bigger than Pandey's), who initially brings welcome energy compared to the low-key performance of the male lead. But eventually, her whole act feels out of place, as if it belongs to a different film, like Khichdi 3. If you remove her from the film, it wouldn't matter at all, even with the makers trying to give her a romantic angle and a connection to the villain.

PS: Is it just me, or is the frequent theme music played during the emotional scenes ripped off from the OST of The Witcher 3 game? Can any Geralt of Rivia fans confirm this?

Maharaj Movie Review - Final Thoughts

I wish I could laud Maharaj for coming out in a time when religious bigotry and radicalism are the flavours of the era while using a real-life reformer and an event to drive a point. I could see the spine, but what's a spine if the rest of the body is weak? Barring Jaideep Ahlawat's menacing performance and some good dialogues, the rest of Maharaj, including debutant Junaid Khan's weak performance, falls short of being the powerful, thought-provoking drama it aspires. Maharaj is streaming on Netflix.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 21, 2024 06:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).