Aamir Khan’s son, Junaid Khan, recently made his acting debut with the latest Netflix movie, Maharaj. The historical period drama follows the story of Karsandas Mulji, a journalist and reformer. As he fought the Maharaj Libel Case in 1862 in the Bombay Supreme Court, he questioned societal norms and rituals that exploited women.
The movie is currently trending at number 1 on Netflix in India and has received mixed reactions from netizens.
Here is Maharaj’s real story and an explanation of the movie’s ending.
What happened in Junaid Khan’s debut movie?
Maharaj begins with the introduction of Karsandas Mulji, a small boy born into a Gujarati family who is never afraid to question societal rituals. While he gains more knowledge, he is also a religious man who believes in the power of God. After the death of his mother, Karsandas is sent to live with his maternal family in Bombay, where he studies journalism. He soon becomes a reformer who writes feature articles in newspapers about women’s empowerment.
In Bombay, there is a mansion that has the main temple of Lord Krishna. Among the celebrated priests of the temple is Jadunath Maharaj, aka JJ (played by Jaideep Ahlawat), who has the most followers. On every occasion, JJ picks up a girl from the crowd and lets her serve him. By serving, it means devoting herself and having intercourse with the priest. When Kishori, Karsandas’ fiancé, is the one who Maharaj picks, he revolts. However, Kishori refuses to listen to him as she worships JJ. It does not take her much time to realize that she has been exploited by him. As a result, Kishori gives up her life and leaves a letter for Karsandas to apologize for what she has done. She also asks him to raise his voice against such a ritual and remove it from society.
After Kishori’s death, Karsandas gives an open challenge to JJ to expose his true self. He begins his own newspaper, but the latter overpowers him at every step. He even stops his newspaper from being distributed. However, despite his multiple efforts, JJ fails to stop Karsandas. Throughout the course of his fight against the former, the latter’s family abandons him. Meanwhile, he has his mentor, Dadabhai Naoroji, Viraj (played by Sharvari Wagh), a prominent priest from the mansion, and others on his side.
Maharaj ending: Does Karasandas win the case?
Karsandas proves the power of journalism and tries to spread awareness about the ritual of serving JJ. As the latter witnesses the impact of Karsandas’ endless efforts, he files a defamation case against him and demands a whopping sum as a fine. While many were against him, JJ’s wife secretly supported him. However, he does everything in his power to stop Karsandas from gathering more and more witnesses for the case.
Maharaj’s climax begins with a legal battle between Karsandas and JJ. A huge crowd gathers outside the court in support of the priest. His devotees do not let him walk barefoot on the ground. In court, he refuses to follow norms and even tries to threaten Karsandas’ lawyer. When nobody comes to Karsandas’ support, JJ’s physician agrees to become a witness against the societal norm. He reveals that Maharaj has syphilis due to his intercourse with multiple women. However, the spiritual leader refuses to accept the same and dismisses the doctor’s allegations.
When nothing helps, Karsandas gives a moving speech in court that encourages many women to speak up against JJ. At first, his sister-in-law comes forward to give her statement, and later, many women follow the same. Many men also support their wives and sisters in speaking up against the ritual. Over the course of seven days, 32 witnesses come forward and testify. As a result, the Bombay Supreme Court dismisses the defamation case and initiates criminal proceedings against JJ. Finally, people understood what Karsandas was trying to make them aware of.
Viewers can watch the movie on Netflix.
