‘Grateful’: YRF after Gujarat court lifts stay order on ‘Maharaj’

Yash Raj Films (YRF), the banner behind Maharaj that marks the debut of Bollywood star Aamir Khan's son Junaid, has expressed gratitude to the judiciary after the Gujarat High Court lifted an interim stay on the film's release.

The period drama, set in pre-independent India, is based on the Maharaj Libel Case of 1862.

The Gujarat High Court on Friday observed that Maharaj did not target the Vaishnav Pushtimarg sect as alleged by its members, who had filed a petition against the release of the film, claiming that it hurts religious sentiments.

The film has nothing objectionable or derogatory, the court said after watching it and allowed its release on streaming platform Netflix.

In a statement posted on its official social media handles, YRF said the movie is a tribute to Karsandas Mulji, one of the greatest social reformers of India.

"We are grateful to our judiciary for allowing the release of Maharaj, a film that celebrates one of the most important social reformers of our country, Karsandas Mulji," the production banner said.

"Karsandas, a hero and a devout Vaishnav, stood for righteousness, protected women, and safeguarded his community and faith. Maharaj is a tribute to his indomitable fighting spirit and his courage to be on the right side of history,” it added.

The studio, known for producing renowned films such as Veer Zaara, Pathaan, Ek Tha Tiger, Chak De! India, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Silsila, and Kabhi Kabhie, said it has never made a movie that would "tarnish" the country's reputation.

"Yash Raj Films has a 50-year-old legacy of championing India, its stories, its people, culture, and heritage. We have never produced a film that has tarnished the reputation of our country or our countrymen. Hope you watch 'Maharaj' and join us in saluting Karsandas," the production banner said.

Maharaj is produced by Aditya Chopra under YRF Entertainment and is directed by Siddharth P Malhotra of Hichki fame.

Malhotra also shared an emotional note on social media, saying the film has a story that needs to be told against all odds.

"A film release is almost like the arrival of a child for a filmmaker. The labour of love would like to be celebrated and announced with Elan. But when you choose to tell a story that must be told against all odds then the battle will be uphill but hopefully worth the pain and obstacles as we as a team are super proud of the film Maharaj that we have made,” he wrote.

Maharaj also stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Shalini Pandey, and Sharvari Wagh in a special appearance.