Siddharth P. Malhotra’s directorial venture Maharaj is now streaming on Netflix, a hit with critics and audiences the film is now trending all over the world, however, more on that in a few lines.
Let’s set the stage, earlier describing the project, Malhotra shared that the film is set in the 1800s and is “inspired by true events.” “It is a film that shows the resilience of the human spirit and how a common man could wield the courage to help people around him and, thus, help society at large. Get set to get mesmerised into a world of horse drawn carriages, old school printing presses, kaccha roads, beautiful traditions and a man’s will power to do good. We are beyond thrilled to present Maharaj that is set to stream exclusively on Netflix, the world’s biggest streaming platform. A story like this will resonate to audiences globally and Netflix is the perfect platform to take our story to the world.”
Based on the 1862 court case known as ‘The Maharaj Libel Case’ in Bombay, Maharaj stars debutant Junaid Khan as ‘Karsandas Mulji’ and Jaideep Ahlawat as ‘Jadunath Maharaj’, Shalini Pandey portrays an innocent and gullible ‘Kishori’ and Sharvari Wagh plays the feisty ‘Viraaj’. The director wrote about this cast: “Casting is as important as the direction. Without an apt cast, the direction wouldn’t have the kind of impact that you, as a filmmaker, want to make on the audience. Shanoo Sharma and I had an extensive discussion on who would be the right fit to play Jadunath Maharaj and Karsandas Mulji, and we found them in Jaideep Ahlawat and Junaid Khan, respectively. Junaid has definitely inherited his father’s strong work ethic and acting talent. Jaideep, on the other hand, is such a power-packed performer that he elevates every scene he’s in. Shalini and Sharvari make an impact in every frame they’re a part of. Couldn’t have asked for a better cast, a better team,” Malhotra stated.” In case you didn’t know, Junaid is Aamir Khan’s son.
So, how did it begin? The director shared, “A film release is almost like the arrival of a child for a filmmaker. The labour of love would like to celebrated and announced with elan. But when you choose to tell a story that must be told against all odds then the battle will be uphill but hopefully worth the pain and obstacles as we as a team are super proud of the film “Maharaj” that we have made. Today finally marks the release of my film as a director post Hichki – it marks the debut of Aamir Khan sirs son “Junaid” with Jaideep Ahlawat in and as Maharaj with 2 wonderful ladies Shalini Pandey , sharvari and supported by some mind blowing actors who are masters in their craft. Please watch the film and share it on social media to spread the word. we promise you it’s well worth your time and your families too. It’s a story hopefully will agree that needs to be told.”
So, how is it going? Brilliantly with rave reviews! In fact, Maharaj hits and has ranked in the Top 10 around the world. Apart from #1 in India and four other countries, the film has secured the first spot and has made it to the top 10 in 22 Nations.
Taking to Instagram, Director Siddharth P Malhotra expressed, “My Film Maharaj is #1 in India; #2 in the world and has already entered the Top 10 list in 22 Countries! Grateful to the talent and the talented team who made this possible. And thank you to the audience for giving Maharaj a chance!”
Maharaj has made great numbers in terms of viewership on OTT, with Asia and GCC countries taking the most significant slice of the pie as it reigns #1 in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Maldives while entering the top 10 in Bahrain, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. In the African continents, the film holds #1 in Mauritius and also in Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, and Réunion. In South America, the film is trending in Guadeloupe and Trinidad and Tobago, while in Europe, the film is trending in Luxembourg.
If you have not, be sure to check it out! Maharaj is streaming on Netflix now.
