Maharaj was in the news for two things- the debut of a star kid Junaid Khan (son of Aamir Khan) and the Gujarat High Court’s stay on the film. Following the nothing objectionable order, Netflix has a silent release of its film produced by YRF. From the beginning, Maharaj is loyal to a YRF pattern. Cinematic introduction of the childhood of the protagonist Karsandas Mulji, a journalist and social reformer who fought the landmark Maharaj Libel Case 1862. Cut to his entry to Bombay at an early age, he becomes Bombay and Bombay becomes him, then the velvet soft romantic scenes with his fiancée Kishori (Shalini Pandey), a glossy holy song shot in wide frames- all set.
Junaid Khan is not bad. He looked fresh and innocent on-screen. Good dialog delivery. Wisely, no heavy scenes are imposed on him. Maybe, in the court, he wasn’t that sharp, but okayish. Director Siddharth P Malhotra is keen to trim the court dramas in Maharaj. I felt, in its whole screen time, Maharaj, based on a Gujarati novel by Saurabh Shah is not in a hurry to reform and rehabilitate any while it sluggishly delivers the historical facts scene by scene.
Coming to my favourite man Jaideep Ahlawat who plays Jadunath, a self-styled Godman reverently called JJ by his undivided devotees. Look at him, no trace of the crazy maths teacher in Jaane Jaan or a humble, soft-hearted Pradip in Three of Us. The versatility of Ahlawat in the looks and demeanor of his characters.. he is truly an FTI product. Despite he is the Maharaj who sexually exploits his female devotees in the name of ‘charan seva’ a superstitious ritual, around whom the story revolves, Jaideep is not an active performer in the film, But, his muscular and towering presence with masked rage will do the magic. I liked his Maharaj costumes and charming aura.
Viraaj (Sharvari Wagh) was lively and splashy in her portions. In a slightly erotic scene, Shalini Pandey’s expressions scored well. Good to see the actors of the era progress so fast in the medium, unlike their predecessors.
Maharaj is a watchable film with less impact.