Shalini Pandey on Junaid Khan's Maharaj controversy: There is nothing disrespectful to any religion in the film
Shalini Pandey on Junaid Khan's Maharaj controversy: There is nothing disrespectful to any religion in the film
The recent release of the film Maharaj starring Shalini Pandey, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Junaid Khan, has sparked a significant amount of controversy, particularly concerning its portrayal of religious themes. In an interview, Shalini Pandey, who played the role of Kishori in the film, addressed these controversies head-on, emphasising that the filmmakers had no intention of disrespecting any religion.
Pandey expressed her awareness of the sentiments surrounding the film and the concerns that had been raised. She stated, "I knew the sentiments around it and I personally felt that we didn’t do anything to disrespect any religion or anyone. There was nothing like that in the film. People were assuming."
The controversy began even before the film's release. Members of the Vaishnavite Pushtimarg sect filed a petition with the Gujarat High Court, raising concerns about how the film represented their religious beliefs. As a result, the court temporarily halted the release of Maharaj. However, on June 21, the High Court lifted the stay, clarifying that the film did not target the sect as alleged. Following this decision, Maharaj was released on Netflix the same day.
Reflecting on this challenging period, Pandey shared her relief that the film was finally out. "I’m happy it’s finally out. Of course, we did not feel good about it [the stay] then. The film is everyone’s baby and when you work on a project, you wish it sees the light of the day," she said. She also mentioned the stress and anxiety felt by the director, Siddharth Malhotra, during the court proceedings, adding, "Siddharth Malhotra [director] was extremely worried and anxious and I would have felt really bad if the film would have gotten shelved. But, beyond a point I couldn’t do anything."
Sharing how relieved the team is now that the film is out, Pandey says that everyone is happy the audience is liking it. “There are mixed emotions, but overall we are getting a good response. When you work on something, you want people to see it and am glad that it is happening,” Pandey ends.
Pandey also delved into her role as Kishori in Maharaj. The character was a challenging one, significantly different from who she is in real life. Kishori is depicted as a woman who has slept with the Maharaj, a bold and controversial aspect of the film. Pandey explained, "As a character, Kishori is not even remotely close to who I am as a human being. I got to understand about someone who can blindly believe in something so strongly. It was something that I will always remember."
Furthermore, she discussed the much-talked-about intimate scene in the film with her co-star Jaideep Ahlawat, who plays the Maharaj. Pandey admitted that this scene was particularly challenging. "It was pretty challenging to take up that role. It didn’t seem difficult in my head or when it was on paper when I heard and read about it, but when it actually happened, then I felt that it was making me anxious. When I was doing it, I realized that there are actual people with blind faith who are believing and doing it. Thinking about that made me really uncomfortable and getting out of that human and moving on was also a process," she elaborated.
The actor, who has also starred in Jayeshbhai Jordaar (2022) alongside Ranveer Singh, shared that she has strong opinions about the controversies and stay order on Maharaj. She noted, "I am not sure if I want to share it out loud. I knew the sentiments around it but I don’t personally feel that we did anything to disrespect any religion or anyone. There was nothing like that. Moreover, after watching it, people who know me have been telling me that we thought there would be something bigger because of which people were reacting that way, but there was nothing as such. People were assuming, I feel. They assumed a lot and made a bigger picture in their head, which was not in the film."