Films and web series based on ‘true stoies’ that faced legal trouble

‘Maharaj’, the debut film of Bollywood star Aamir Khan’s son, Junaid, was set to release on Netflix last week. However, the Gujarat High Court extended an interim stay on the film’s release after eight members of the Pushtimarg sect filed a petition. The petitioners raised concerns over the film’s portrayal of a British-era libel case from 1862, which they argued ‘defamed the Hindu religion’ and made blasphemous comments against Lord Krishna and devotional hymns. Despite the controversy, advocates for the film maintain that it is based on ‘historical legal proceedings’, which are a matter of public record.
The 1862 libel case was centred on a clash between a Vaishnavite religious leader and social reformer, Karsandas Mulji, who, in an article in a Gujarati weekly, had alleged that the godman had sexual liaisons with his female devotees.