High Court stays release of Aamir Khan's son's debut film 'Maharaj'; What's the controversy?

The Gujarat High Court stayed the release of Aamir Khan's son Junaid Khan's debut film 'Maharaj' following a plea by a Hindu group, which claimed that the movie would incite violence against followers of a Hindu sect.

Bajrang Dal has also filed a petition in Mumbai's Dindoshi Court opposing the release of 'Maharaj'.

The film directed by Siddharth P Malhotra and produced by Yashraj Films was slated for release on Netflix on June 14.

The petitioners claimed in their plea that the film might hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus and portray Hindu leaders in an objectionable light. Taking the petition into consideration, the Gujarat HC ordered a stay on the film on Thursday until further notice.

The court also issued notices to production house Yash Raj Films, Netflix and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Meanwhile, '#Boycott Netflix' was trending on social media, with members of several Hindu fringe groups and other netizens accused Netflix of promoting 'anti-Hindu' content.

For those unversed, Maharaj is based on the infamous Maharaj Libel Case of 1862 in which a journalist (played by Junaid) accused one of the heads of the Vallabhacharya sect, Jadunathji Maharaj (played by Jaideep Ahlawat) of exploiting his female devotees under the garb of religious practices.