Rupang Bhatt, Gandhinagar: Yash Raj Films movie Maharaj released today on Netflix after lifting of temporary stay by the Gujarat High Court. The stay was lifted after arguments in the court for three days, and preview of the film by the Judge herself. The film was immediately release in the evening to get the benefit of Week-end.

The film portrays the 19th-century Mumbai-based Vaishnavite youth, Karsandas Mulji, and his struggle against a Vaishnavite Maharaj who controls the Haveli temple. The Maharaj, referred to as JJ in the film, engages in sexual relations with multiple female disciples under the guise of ‘Charan Seva’, which he claims as a tradition.

The film begins with a young Karsandas Mulji questioning his parents about their daily visits to the temple and the offerings made in Yagna rituals, pondering whether the fire of Yagna knows the location of God.

Based on Gujarati author Saurabh Shah’s novel “Maharaj”, the film depicts instances where Maharaj’s sexual activities with disciple girls are witnessed by religious Vaishnavs through windows in exchange for money deposited with Maharaj’s aide. Maharaj justifies these acts as Tan Rasik Seva dedicated to God. Karsandas Mulji witnesses his fiancée also engaging in Charan Seva with Maharaj, leading to their breakup and her subsequent suicide. This prompts Karsandas to challenge Maharaj, who retaliates by shutting down the Haveli’s gates, and says ‘Our Shriji Maharaj is on Dharna and Haveli is on strike’.

Karsandas starts his own newspaper and publishes articles against Maharaj, resulting in a defamation case where Maharaj demands Rs. 50,000 in damages. During the trial, 32 women testify against Maharaj, and a doctor reveals he has syphilis.

In the drama, Haveli’s Lalvanji Maharaj says, the Haveli has swallowed many and it has become cannibal. Karsandas maintains that his fight is not against dharma but thekedars of dharma.

Critically, the acting of Junaid Khan, son of actor Aamir Khan, is deemed below average, suggesting he secured the role due to nepotism. The film’s pace slows and becomes predictable after the one-hour mark, failing to sustain engagement. The film concludes with a message urging direct worship of God without intermediaries such as temples, idols, or individuals—a point left open for interpretation.

Overall, “Maharaj” navigates controversial themes through historical and social lenses but falls short in execution and entertainment value, especially in its latter half. The film has safety coating at the beginning and at the end with Slides of messages. The message at the end singles out this Maharaj controversy of late 19th century from the glorious traditions of Vaishnav sect and admires the sect(after picking up and portraying the ‘once in a while a bad chapter’ in the centuries long history of sect throughout the length of the movie). DeshGujarat