Maharaj marks the debut film of Aamir Khan’s son, Junaid Khan, and is ‘supposedly’ based on the Maharaj Libel case of 1862, which proved to be a landmark judgement in legal history and changed the religious fabric of the country significantly.

The word ‘supposedly’ has been used as the film itself is not sure of the ground it stands upon and takes a diplomatic and safe stance. The opening credits of the film make a paradoxical claim where it first reads that the film has been inspired by real events and is based on the eponymous book by Saurabh Shah, whereas the next paragraph claims that the film doesn’t claim any authenticity of events portrayed in the film and that any resemblance of characters and events in the film to any person (living or dead) is purely unintentional and co-incidental. Furthermore, as the film commences, the screen reads, “Based on a true event that led to the Maharaj Libel case of 1862, argued at the Supreme Court in Bombay, India.”

Considering the film to be based on the landmark libel case, Maharaj opens with the bildungsroman narrative of Karsandas Mulji (essayed by Junaid Khan), the reformist journalist who audaciously questions religious fanaticism and exposes the erotic escapades of Jadunath Maharaj (Jaideep Alhawat), popularly known as JJ among devotees. The film traces the life of Mulji from boyhood to adulthood for a while and takes a turn towards the theme when Mulji’s fiancée, Kishori (Shalini Pandey), happily becomes a victim to the Maharaj’s licentious escapades. Junaid’s Mulji becomes acquainted with JJ’s exploitative practices only when Kisohri becomes his subject. The film establishes that JJ, who is believed to be the reincarnation of God by the devotees, is willingly offering wives and daughters to perform ‘charan seva,’ a euphemism for intercourse, with the Maharaj, and it is considered to be a practice meant for celebration.

In the film, JJ files a defamation suit against Mulji’s article that exposed the misutilisation and tampering of faith and religious scriptures by the Maharaj and his exploitation of women in the name of ‘seva’. The courtroom scene, on which the film is based, finds a screen time of only 20 minutes, with the trial being more of a spectacle and feeling theatrical instead of momentous. Not to mention the addition of the unnecessary comic segment of JJ’s manservant in the courtroom. The scene of the trial is only marked by a couple of heavy dialogues and a lengthy monologue without delving in-depth into testimonials and their reception. The surface-level representation of the actual legal battle fails to establish the gravitas of the judgement.

Furthermore, while the film aimed to question blind faith and fanaticism, it doesn’t establish how the practices in question came to be normalised and socially sanctioned. The motive of questioning exploitative power and leaving the audience with food for thought was well meant but remained underexplored. The sluggish pace of Maharaj and the inclusion of music and dance sequences, along with unnecessary digressions, make it lose the impact it sought to create, making it a mediocre watch.

Junaid Khan’s essaying of Mulji is satisfactory but lacks the powerful punch the role ought to deliver. Jaideep Alhawat, on the other hand, fits the role of the arrogant Maharaj perfectly with his menacing grin and air of nonchalance, holding the plot together. Shalini Pandey’s role as Kishori was short-lived but crucial for the film, while Sharvari Wagh elevated the plot with her energy and presence.

While the film lacks gravitas and is diluted by melodrama, it is a fine watch to acquaint oneself with the existence of the landmark case, but it certainly is not didactic and plays too safe without committing to what it wants to express.