As Maharaj garners a mixed response, debutant Junaid Khan feels the entire point of cinema is all views are valid

Nonika Singh

Papa kehte hai bada naam karega… today the lilting song picturised on Aamir Khan in his iconic film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak turns prophetic, and the superstar has all the reasons to be a proud father himself. The response to Netflix film Maharaj may have been mixed, but feedback to Aamir’s son Junaid Khan, who made his debut with the film, has been largely positive. Sure, he may not have won over all critics. But then as the actor wiser beyond years understands, “You can’t please them all. The entire point of cinema is all views are valid and we try our best every time.”

Basking in the glory, with social media going gaga over like father like son, it may have taken a while for Junaid to follow in Mr Perfectionist’s footsteps. But it’s an assured debut. If he studied theatre in the US, he has been on stage since 2017 and will go on it again in September. For the fact that this must have been one of the most underwhelming debuts of a star-kid with limited publicity prior to release, his response is telling, even a wee bit modest, “I leave such things like publicity and distribution to people who know better than me.”

Whether he should have opted for a more conventional lover-boy film (like his dad’s) and in theatres, once again he feels, “It’s the producers’ prerogative.” For him, an actor’s job ‘is to choose the right scripts, the ones which excite me’.

Director’s cut

Maharaj, both Junaid and director of his film Siddharth P Malhotra feel, is certainly that one rich story. It may have ruffled a few feathers of the easily offended tribe initially, but hiccup for the Hichki-maker was temporary. Religious subjects, Siddharth agrees, are a tough nut to crack. But he qualifies, “We all were cognisant of the fact that it should not hurt anyone. We went through loads of edits, even before the film was ready.” But at the end of the day, he quips, “I can’t make a film for critics.” Whether he had on his mind films like Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi Hai and the series Aashram, also on unscrupulous religious gurus, well, he can’t comprehend any ground for comparisons. He reasons, “Sirf Ek Banda…was heavy duty and Aashram had violence, sex…both highly rated content, of course. Maharaj is quintessentially Karsandas Mulji’s journey.”

So why name it after the negative character of the movie? Siddharth answers, “We did toy with other names but since the book by Saurabh Shah and the play are so titled, we decided to simply go along with it.”

Different take

While viewers might see the titular character Maharaj, played by Jaideep Ahlawat, as downright repugnant, the actor, who never fails to nail it, certainly does not consider him as the vilest character he has essayed in his vast and impressive filmography. Rather, he feels, “His thought-process is very different yet he believes in what he does, and is never apologetic. You play the mindset of the character and have to find belief in his belief.”

The calmness and equanimity with which he essays the part of this lustful dharam guru, he shares, is as ingrained in the script as his understanding of the character of ‘how the really powerful never get angry easily’.

Jaideep’s deep character study is something even Junaid stands inspired by. Whether after rubbing shoulders with this gifted actor, Junaid’s role model, which we assume is Aamir, might have changed, the diplomatic answer is, “But then I have never worked with my dad except maybe in a family play.”

While he has wrapped up one film and is busy shooting for a Phantom production in Delhi, both theatre and cinema will remain his forever love. Late start, if you think 31 is by Bollywood standards, but by no means is he in the slow lane.

It’s a weighty issue…

For Jaideep Ahlawat from ‘doodh dahi ka desh Haryana’, losing weight for Maharaj wasn’t easy. But man, he shed no less than 26 kg under the watchful supervision of his trainer Prajwal Shetty. Will he regain some pounds for Hathi Ram Chaudhry in the sequel of his breakout series Paatal Lok? Well, since the series has already been shot, he can afford to remain fit!