28062024-LSTC-01.qxd 6/27/2024 10:13 PM Page 1 c m y b FAN FRENZY FOR KALKI 2898 AD As the much-awaited Prabhas-starrrer Kalki 2898 AD hit the theatres on Thursday, fans flocked cinema halls in various parts of the country, some of them as early as 5 am! Many could be seen in a celebratory mood dancing to the beats of the dhol. People also put up cut-outs and posters of Prabhas. TRIBUNE Show time Adah Sharma is all set to play a ‘badass, witty’ titular character in the upcoming show titled Rapchick Reeta. The show will air on Disney+ Hotstar. LUDHIANA | FRIDAY | 28 JUNE 2024 SIDDHARTH P MALHOTRA Nonika Singh P APA 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’. ‘You can’t please all’ AAMIR KHAN AND JUNAID KHAN It’s a weighty issue... As Maharaj garners a mixed response, director Siddharth P Malhotra avers that he can’t make a film for critics alone, while debutant Junaid Khan feels the entire point of cinema is all views are valid 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! 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 vio- Despite the talented Jaideep Ahlawat and a star-kid, Junaid Khan, in the fray, Maharaj failson many fronts NET, FLICKS & MORE Vikrant Parmar It’s a fight between good and evil — everyone knows who wins, right? In the Netflix movie Maharaj the course is the same, only the route full of potholes! But before that, why are the religious sentiments of Indians hurt so easily? Or, is it a marketing gimmick? Whatever be the case, thankfully, the Gujarat High Court set the record straight and that too fast enough for this film to see the light of day. Based on Saurabh Shah’s book Maharaj, this 2-hour-11-minute fare from the YRF stable, fails on many fronts. Based on true events that led to the Maharaja Libel case lence, 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- JAIDEEP AHLAWAT 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. Not a regal affair Film: Maharaj Star cast: Junaid Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharvari Wagh, Shalini Pandey Director: Siddharth P Malhotra Stars: of 1862, Maharaj opens in Vadaal, Gujarat. In a deeply religious, rather bigoted Vaishnav family, a son, Karsandas Mulji (Junaid Khan), is born, who soon questions all that does not appear right to him. Sadly, his mother passes away and he is transported to a relative’s house in Mumbai. Growing up, he becomes a social reformer and journalist who abhors ill-practices of the time — child marriage, ban on widow remarriage and untouchability. Guided by the ‘Grand Old Man of India’, Dadabhai Naoroji, and others of his ilk, he takes up cudgels against a sea of atrocities; first through the former’s newspaper, Rast Goftar, and then his own, Satyaprakash. Situation and circumstance make Karsandas cross swords with the affluent and influential Jadunath Maharaj aka JJ (Jaideep Ahlawat), a deified figure who rules a haveli that is pious to the Vaishnav community. However, JJ sexually exploits their daughters and sisters at will, all in the name of religion, devotion and service. Well, isn’t the name JJ akin to one of the villains of Bollywood films of the 70s — remember KK, PK, DK? As if villainy needs an acronym like this. It’s jarring, informal and ultra-modern for a milieu the film is set in — JJ for a godman who calls the shots, holds sway over a multitude of blind followers! The story reaches a crescendo c m y b as the hero takes on the villain, not with his fists but unwieldy dialogues, after Karsandas’ fiancée Kishori (Shalini Pandey) commits suicide, following a ritual called charan seva, a coinage that means sleeping with the baba, JJ, a veritable sexual predator with voyeuristic inclinations. Rest follows in the courtroom, as fun- nily dressed English lawyers of the time take potshots at each other. And then, good wins over evil. Recollect the first line? Junaid Khan, son of acclaimed actor Aamir Khan, has a huge comparison to face but he fails the test and that too by some margin. Childish in his countenance as well as act, Junaid is a bit too shrill, almost eating into his dialogues in the eagerness to deliver them. As if learnt by rote, likely to be forgotten and so the hurry! Had Jaideep Ahlawat not performed way below par than he usually does, Junaid would have paled into insignificance. Thankfully, with a fixated smile and assumed persona, Jaideep allows that space to him. The women, including Viraaj (Sharvari Wagh) and Kishori, add a semblance of respect to this drab affair. The dialogues are full of gyan, almost preachy at times — Dharam bhagwan ban ne ka madhyam nahi hai, acha insaan ban ne ka madhyam hai; Sahi aur galat ka bhed jan ne mein dharam ki nahi, buddhi ki zaroorat hoti hai; Naam se karam nahi, karam se naam banta hai’... clapping! Weak screenplay and direction bury this story which had potential. Aha, there is a transgender servant of JJ too; it’s of course the mood of the times (read inclusivity). The background score is melodious, but can that hold it all together? Not quite!
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