Netflix halts Junaid's film Maharaj release after Gujarat HC puts a stay

Junaid Khan-starrer Maharaj was scheduled to premiere on June 14 on Netflix but the streaming giant halted its release after the Gujarat High Court stayed its release following a petition by members of a Hindu sect who claimed the film would hurt their religious sentiments. Aamir Khan's son Junaid is making his debut with Maharaj. However, the film caught the attention of social media users on Wednesday with hashtags such as "Boycott Netflix" and "Ban Maharaj Film" trending on X (formerly Twitter). On Thursday, Aamir Khan was also trending on the social media platform along with several screenshots of his superhit film, PK.

Responding to a petition by members of Pushtimarg, a Vaishnava sect of Hinduism, the Gujarat



High Court stayed the film's release on Thursday. A single-judge bench of Justice Sangeeta Vishen passed the order against the film and issued notices to the Centre, Netflix and Yash Raj Films. The court has posted the matter for further hearing on June 18.

Directed by Siddharth P Malhotra and produced by Aditya Chopra under YRF Entertainment, the movie also stars Jaideep Ahlawat. Interestingly, unlike a mainstream film launching a star son, there were no trailers or teasers, barring a poster featuring Jaideep and Junaid.

The poster shows the two actors standing side by side with Jaideep's character sporting a 'tilak' on his forehead while Junaid's character, a journalist, is dressed in a waistcoat.