Junaid Khan Says He Didn't Discuss Debut Film Maharaj With Dad Aamir: Doesn't Get Too Much Into Our Lives
junaid khan says he didn't discuss debut film maharaj with dad aamir khan: doesn't get too much into our lives
Junaid Khan made his big Bollywood debut with the Netflix original Maharaj. Describing the film as a 'beautiful script', it has been directed by Siddharth P Malhotra and produced by Aditya Chopra. Maharaj casts Junaid in the role of the real-life 19th-century social reformer Karsandas Mulji. This debut arrives nearly four decades after his father, superstar Aamir Khan, made his mark as a romantic hero in the 1988 film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak.
Junaid Khan on Maharaj
On being asked about the film being an unconventional choice for a newcomer, Junaid expressed, “I don’t know about it being an unconventional (debut) because YRF is a big banner and Sid sir wanted me (in the film). The story is inherently very dramatic. I have been doing theatre in Mumbai since 2017. Sid sir asked me to come and test for this film. I didn’t think of it as conventional or unconventional."
Asked whether he thought a romantic story would have been a safer bet, the actor said, “I guess producers and directors didn’t see me in romantic dramas. You do the work you get but it was a lovely script. It is such a wide medium, I don’t think there is any protection in films.”
For the unversed, Maharaj, which revolves around an 1862 libel case involving Mulji and a Vaishnavite religious leader, faced legal challenges when members of the sect petitioned the Gujarat High Court against its release. Although the premiere was delayed by a week, the high court eventually allowed the film's release after a brief stay, stating that it did not disparage any religion.
Junaid Khan, who has two more films in production, including one with Aamir Khan Productions, expressed relief that the issue was resolved swiftly.
Also starring Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharvari, and Shalini Pandey, the movie was previously scheduled to be released on Netflix on June 14. It is based on Saurabh Shah’s Gujarati novel of the same name.
Reacting to the controversy, he added, “It is a sensitive topic for sure but I think Sid sir and Adi sir made it very sensitively. Certain things happened before the release of the film without context. But all’s well that ends well. I don’t think the film was intended to hurt anybody. And I don’t think it has hurt anybody who has seen the film,” he said.
The actor studied at the Los Angeles-based American Academy of Dramatics and Arts for three years. Upon his return in 2017, he honed his skills on stage.
Junaid on discussing films with dad Aamir Khan
Junaid said, has known about his aspiration to become an actor for almost a decade. When asked whether he discussed his debut project with his father, he said, “Film ke baare mein itna discussion nahi hua Papa se (I didn’t discuss much about the film with my father)’. It is not his film and he is busy with his work. Sid sir and Adi sir showed him the film. He liked it and had some suggestions. They took some of it and didn’t take the others.”
“He would normally give advice if you have specific questions for him. But beyond that, he does not get too much into our lives. He lets us be. If you have a specific question, then he is very helpful actually.”
Junaid is currently in Delhi shooting for a project.
“I don’t know how much I should talk about those films because producers haven’t announced them yet but one is being made by AKP and another by Phantom Films. “For now, there are these two projects and then we will see. I am supposed to be on stage in September. I keep myself busy. I have the year pretty packed,” the actor added. (Inputs from PTI)