The Gujarat High Court on Friday allowed the release of the film Maharaj on Netflix, which was earlier scheduled to be released on June 18, Bar and Bench reported.
The release of the film starring Junaid Khan, the son of actor Aamir Khan, was stayed by an interim order dated June 12 after a petition said it may hurt religious sentiments.
Single-judge Justice Sangeeta Vishen on Friday lifted the interim stay after observing that prima facie it did not aim to hurt the sentiments of any community and had already been certified by the Central Board of Film Certification.
“This court arrives at a prima facie conclusion that film Maharaj is based on events that led to the filing of the (1862) libel case and is not targeted at hurting the sentiments of any community. The film has been certified by CBFC, an expert body, after considering relevant guidelines,” the court said, according to Bar and Bench.
The petitioners, belonging to the Pustimarg sect, contended that the film, based on the Libel Case of 1862, could disrupt public order and incite violence against the sect and the Hindu religion.
The petitioners highlighted that the 1862 case, decided by English judges of the Supreme Court of Bombay, contained severely blasphemous remarks about Hinduism, Lord Krishna and devotional songs and hymns.
It was argued that the film's release was being done secretively, with no trailer or promotional events, to conceal its storyline. They added that despite urgent appeals to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to block the film's release, they received no response.
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