Gujarat High Court Lifts Stay Order On Maharaj; Says It Doesn't Hurt Any Community's Sentiments

The Gujarat High Court has lifted its temporary stay on the release of the film 'Maharaj' on streaming giant Netflix.

The Gujarat High Court has lifted its temporary stay on the release of the film 'Maharaj' on streaming giant Netflix.

Source : IMDb

New Delhi: The Gujarat High Court has lifted its temporary stay on the release of the film 'Maharaj' on streaming giant Netflix. Stating that Aamir Khan's son's film was based on the 1862 Maharaj Libel Case and did not target the sentiments of any community, the High Court lifted its stay order on the film, which was earlier postponed.

Gujarat HC Allows Release Of Maharaj

Justice Sangeeta K Vishen, who had barred the release of the movie on June 13, decided to let the streaming platform Netflix release the movie after watching it.

"This court arrives at the prima facie conclusion that the film, Maharaj, is based on events that led to the filing of the libel case and is not targeted at hurting the sentiments of the Pushtimargi community. The film had been certified by the Central Board for Film Certification, an expert body after considering the relevant guidelines… The interim relief granted on June 13 has been vacated,” the court said.

Maharaj Stay Order

The film, slated for a release on June 14 was put on hold after the high court barred Netflix from streaming the movie after the Vishva Hindu Parishad ( VHP) appealed to the court to ban the film's release for 'hurting religious sentiments'. The fim 'Maharaj' is based on a 2013 book by Gujarati author Saurabh Shah on the libel case of 1862 filed by a leading Vaishnavite figure, Jadunathji, against social reformer Karsandan Mulji who had writted against sexual exploitation by the powerful Maharaj.

Mulji’s report on the exploitation in his magazine 'The Satyaprakash' led to a libel case which became the famous Maharaj Libel Case. 

“Thus this court is constrained to come to the conclusion that the apprehension of petitioners is based on surmises. Since the film is yet to be released for public viewing, thus on mere presumption, the freedom of expression guaranteed under Article 19 (1)(a) of the Constitution cannot be curtailed,” the court said before lifting the stay order.