The Gujarat High Court on Thursday ordered an interim stay on the release of the movie "Maharaj," starring actor Aamir Khan's son, Junaid Khan..The movie was slated for release on over the top (OTT) platform Netflix on June 14.Justice Sangeetha K Vishen issued an ad-interim order halting the movie's release and scheduled the matter for further hearing on June 18."Considered the submissions. Issue notice to the respondents, returnable on 18.06.2024. Ad-interim relief is granted in terms of paragraph 11(C), till the next date of hearing," the Court directed..The order was passed on a plea filed on behalf of devotees of Lord Krishna and followers of the Pustimarg sect.It was argued that the movie "Maharaj," allegedly based on the Libel Case of 1862, could disrupt public order and incite violence against the sect and the Hindu religion..The petitioners highlighted that the 1862 case, decided by English judges of the Supreme Court of Bombay, contained severely blasphemous remarks about Hinduism, Lord Krishna and devotional songs and hymns. They argued that the movie's release was being done secretively with no trailer or promotional events, to conceal its storyline. The petitioners further contended that releasing the movie would cause irreparable harm to their religious sentiments and despite urgently appealing to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to block the film's release, they received no response..It was further argued that considering the reach of OTT platforms and immediate wide distribution throughout the world, it would be rather impossible to rectify the damage caused by the release of the movie.Reportedly, hashtags such as 'Boycott Netflix' and 'Ban Maharaj Film' trended on social media with some users demanding a ban on "Maharaj," claiming that the upcoming period drama offends religious sentiments.Senior Advocate Mihir Joshi along with Advocates Keyur Gandhi (Managing Partner) and Kunal Vyas (Partner) of Gandhi Law Associates appeared for petitioner..[Read Order]
The Gujarat High Court on Thursday ordered an interim stay on the release of the movie "Maharaj," starring actor Aamir Khan's son, Junaid Khan..The movie was slated for release on over the top (OTT) platform Netflix on June 14.Justice Sangeetha K Vishen issued an ad-interim order halting the movie's release and scheduled the matter for further hearing on June 18."Considered the submissions. Issue notice to the respondents, returnable on 18.06.2024. Ad-interim relief is granted in terms of paragraph 11(C), till the next date of hearing," the Court directed..The order was passed on a plea filed on behalf of devotees of Lord Krishna and followers of the Pustimarg sect.It was argued that the movie "Maharaj," allegedly based on the Libel Case of 1862, could disrupt public order and incite violence against the sect and the Hindu religion..The petitioners highlighted that the 1862 case, decided by English judges of the Supreme Court of Bombay, contained severely blasphemous remarks about Hinduism, Lord Krishna and devotional songs and hymns. They argued that the movie's release was being done secretively with no trailer or promotional events, to conceal its storyline. The petitioners further contended that releasing the movie would cause irreparable harm to their religious sentiments and despite urgently appealing to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to block the film's release, they received no response..It was further argued that considering the reach of OTT platforms and immediate wide distribution throughout the world, it would be rather impossible to rectify the damage caused by the release of the movie.Reportedly, hashtags such as 'Boycott Netflix' and 'Ban Maharaj Film' trended on social media with some users demanding a ban on "Maharaj," claiming that the upcoming period drama offends religious sentiments.Senior Advocate Mihir Joshi along with Advocates Keyur Gandhi (Managing Partner) and Kunal Vyas (Partner) of Gandhi Law Associates appeared for petitioner..[Read Order]
