Fact Check: Is Netflix's Maharaj based on the 1862 libel trials? Explained

Netflix's period drama Maharaj was released on Friday, June 21, 2024. Yash Raj Film Entertainment has produced the film, which is based on Saurabh Shah's Gujarati novel Maharaj. It stars Junaid Khan as an intrepid journalist, Karsandas Mulji, who uncovers a scandal related to the Hindu sect of PushtiMarga Sampradaya. Mulji is subsequently taken to court for libel for his reporting.

Apart from Shah's novel of the same name, the film is also reportedly based on the real-life 1862 Maharaj libel case. The character names and backgrounds are similar to those involved in the 1862 case. Additionally, professional reviews have acknowledged that the film is based on this true story, and this claim is factually accurate.

However, the film has also faced some controversy and legal challenges from certain religious groups. The Vaishnav PushtiMarg sect got an interim stay order in Gujarat, which was lifted on June 21, 2024. During the judgment, Justice Sangeeta Vishen explicitly said that the film was based on real events and did not endanger any Hindu sect.

---

What was the Maharaj 1862 libel case?

The film is based on the 1862 libel case between Karsandas Mulji and Jadunathji Maharaj. (Image via Netflix)

In 1862, Jadunathji Brijratnaji, a religious leader of the PushtiMarga Sampradaya sect of Hindus, filed a case against journalist Karsandas Mulji. The journalist has published an exposé on the sect in the newspaper Satyaprakash. It was titled Hinduo No Asli Dharam Ane Atyar Na Pakhandi Mato (lit. The True/Original Religion of the Hindus and the Present Hypocritical Opinions).

In his exposé, Mulji accused the Maharajas, who led the sect, of exploiting their followers. He claimed that they coerced women into s*xual favors and asked men to surrender their wives to them (the leaders).

Karsandas came from a family of influential merchants who were highly respected among the PushtiMarga sect. However, he was ostracized for refusing to conform to their beliefs. He had also struggled against his family's beliefs and was excommunicated for breaking their rule against traveling abroad by visiting England.

Karsandas decided to write the article after a PushtiMarg elder, Jivanlal, tried to stamp out dissent among his followers by making them sign a document. The document would promise their silence under the penalty of miscommunication.

Karsandas condemned the document as a slavery bond and decried the PushtiMarg leadership in the newspaper. In retaliation, Jadunathji Brijratanji Maharaj filed a libel case against him in the Bombay High Court.

---

What was the judgment on the case?

Justice Joseph Arnould was the judge in the libel case and ruled in favor of Karsandas Mulji, considering his story to be factually accurate. The judge also condemned the PushtiMarga sect as a barbaric enterprise of loose morals. He believed that Mulji had been perfectly justified in publishing his exposé.

Chief Justice Matthew Sausse was less approving, as he overruled Arnould's judgment and deemed Karsandas Mulji guilty of libel. He did not dispute the factual accuracy of Mulji's article but believed that the s*xual abuse was a private matter of the sect. He ruled that Mulji had acted maliciously in bringing it to the public's attention. He argued that doing so had not served the public's interests.

However, he was also unimpressed with the testimonies of Jadunathji and his witnesses, concluding that they had failed to prove Karsandas's claims false. Thus, while Jadunathji and the PushtiMarga sect were awarded Rs. 5 as part of the judgment, Karsandas ended up with a reward of Rs. 11,500 rupees.

---

The 1862 libel case was a landmark event in the history of Indian journalism and legal precedent. It served as the basis for Saurabh Shah's Gujarati novel Maharaj, which the latest Netflix film is based on. It stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Shalini Pandey, with Sharvari making a guest appearance.

Maharaj is currently available to stream on Netflix.