Maharaj

After a court case and a string of controversies, the movie dropped on Netflix with minimal promotion. It is a story inspired by true incidents and a case that was widely discussed.

Based on the 2013 Gujarati novel by Saurabh Shah, Karan P. Malhotra's film presents a dramatized account of the landmark 1862 Maharaj libel case. Maharaj filed a defamation case against social reformer and journalist Karsandas Mulji, who exposed his sexual predations disguised as acts of faith.

The story could have been written better. Nevertheless, it keeps you engrossed throughout the narrative. It sets the premise, establishes the characters, and helps you understand the public's blind faith in a godman. The courtroom drama should have been exciting and nail-biting, but with excessive cinematic liberties, it feels highly unrealistic, and the climax takes away the punch it could have delivered.

Set in 1960, the production value is top-notch, making the story highly believable. However, the movie lacks the emotional depth it was supposed to create, failing to make you root for any character. The songs are average and forgettable.

Junaid Khan, son of Aamir Khan, debuts with this movie and was the worst choice for such a strong character. He maintains a single expression throughout the film. On the other hand, Jaideep Ahlawat as Maharaj steals the show. His acting prowess and physical transformation are remarkable, and his calm demeanor makes him both menacing and evil. Shalini Pandey is decent, and surprisingly, Sharvari Wagh, a recent favorite of YRF, has done well, nailing the Gujarati accent.

The film had so much potential with a better screenplay and a stronger lead, but the opportunity is lost. Watch it to learn about the real-life heroes of our country; otherwise, it is just a half-baked work. #pranureviews #Maharaj #MaharajReview.

Any who crosses the dignity n sanctity of Vedic injunctions for ulterior selfish motives misusing n misguiding needs to be taught a lesson. That's the theme of the movie. Story revolves around a true historical court case of 1862 in Bombay portraying the fight between a self claimed saint n a social reformer. A socially highly relevant film with an amazing sets, cast n execution. Storytelling has been powerful. Definitely worth a watch. Available on Netflix. My ratings 7/10!

Any who crosses the dignity n sanctity of Vedic injunctions for ulterior selfish motives misusing n misguiding needs to be taught a lesson. That's the theme of the movie. Story revolves around a true historical court case of 1862 in Bombay portraying the fight between a self claimed saint n a social reformer. A socially highly relevant film with an amazing sets, cast n execution. Storytelling has been powerful. Definitely worth a watch. Available on Netflix. My ratings 7/10!

The film was suddenly shown without any marketing for it, just some news about the participation of Junaid Khan, son of the star Aamir Khan, in the film, in addition to the battle between the film makers and the courts.

The film, from my point of view, is a Bollywood film with all the elements of enjoyable home viewing, but I was I hope that the film tends to narrate history and events in more depth, without songs, performances, and melodramatic dialogues.

The scenery and sets, the costumes and music, the cinematography and the direction, are all good factors in this film.

The acting is very good and a successful start for Junaid Khan, and I hope to see his upcoming works. The film is worth watching, but I expected it to be stronger than what I saw.

Maharaj is a pretty decent movie fitting for OTT release. It is well made and brings a real story based on a infamous landmark court case of the 19th century to the screen. Like most period dramas based on stories from 150+ years ago, it represents some fiction and some facts but the movie captures the main essence of the main story. The topic is handled delicately by the director even though the ending seems a bit filmy.

The highlight of the movie is the talented Jaideep Ahlawat who looks divinely evil with a chilling and charismatic smile as the movie's titular antagonist. He truly raises the movie with a very subtle performance. Junaid does a decent job as the movie's protagonist in his debut feature. There are some similarities in acting style with his superstar father Aamir but Junaid lacks the screen and vocal presence of his father. He is decent and does a good job in the movie but at this stage doesnt really sparkle as one would hope. It is still a grounded and well performed role in a serious drama. Only time and mainstream movies will tell if he is a commercially viable actor or a good character actor.

The other actors are decent especially Shalini Pandey who does a good job. Sharvari looks good and is pretty energetic but her role doesnt help the storyline a lot. The sets, design and costumes are pretty good for a period drama. Some of the dialogs are exceptional. The songs are average and actually not required for a movie of such a genre. Overall a decent watch but nothing great. The only 2 reasons to watch the movie are Jaideep Ahlawat for his towering presence and Junaid Khan for the purpose of sheer curiosity. 7/10.

The movie is based on an objectionable illicit and old social practice by religious leaders in British India and a social reformer's fight against it. The antagonist is a veteran actor who did his part splendidly, the protagonist is a debut actor who did a good job considering its his debut, but there's certainly scope for him to polish his skills. The actress and side actors were good at their parts as well. The movie seemed a little too "bollywoody" at times, but quickly comes back on track. I don't think the movie did a good job at convincing us that the movie is set in 19th century India because at times the behaviour of the characters amongst each other made it lack authenticity. Overall, the movie is a good one-time watch.