Junaid Khan, the son of Indian superstar Aamir Khan, has scored a hit with “Maharaj,” his debut film role. The Siddharth P Malhotra-directed period piece uploaded to Netflix on June 21 and ranked in the top ten lists in 22 countries and territories.
In its second week, it was watched for 5.3 million hours, propelling it to second place in the streamer’s non-English language films list for the period June 24-30.
Set in the 1800s and drawing on a real-world libel case, “Maharaj” is a David vs Goliath story about how a regular man, a journalist by profession, takes on a powerful role-model of society, hailed by many as a messiah for the masses. The fearless reporter uncovers a series of incidents that shake the foundation of society.
Related Stories
VIP+The Great Cable Rollup That Will Never Be
Box Office: 'Wicked' Heads for Dazzling $100 Million Debut, 'Gladiator II' Aims for Muscular $65 Million
Khan stars alongside Jaideep Ahlawat (“Jaane Jaan”), Sharvari (“Bunty Aur Babli 2”) and Shalini Pandey (“Jayeshbhai Jordaar”). Production started during the pandemic and spanned three years.
Popular on Variety
Khan hailed the film’s ratings success as “a collective win.” “I’m only thankful for the love, the appreciation, as well as the feedback that people have given me for my debut. I congratulate my producer YRF, my director Siddharth P. Malhotra, Jaideep sir, Sharvari, Shalini and every cast and crew member at this special moment [..] We made a special film that Netflix has taken to the world and it is resonating with audiences everywhere.” Malhotra’s previous film “Hichki” was a global theatrical hit.
The film is the second project under a multi-genre partnership between Netflix and YRF that was announced in September last year. The first component was hit series “The Railway Men,” a four-episode drama about the unsung heroes of the Bhopal gas tragedy.
Indian media reports this week that Junaid Khan has two other film projects lined up, one with Sai Pallavi and another with Khushi Kapoor.
Read More About:
Jump to CommentsMore from Variety
‘Agatha All Along’ Submits as Comedy Series for Awards Season, Hinting That More Seasons Could Come (EXCLUSIVE)
The Globalization of Streaming: A Special Report
Golden Globes Preview: What to Expect as Nikki Glaser Takes On This Year’s Awards, Under New CBS Deal
‘Suits’ Original Star Gabriel Macht to Join ‘LA’ Spinoff at NBC
Live Nation May Need a New Strategy, Even After Its Big Summer Season
Viola Davis to Receive Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes
Most Popular
Robin Williams Called Conan O’Brien After ‘Tonight Show’ Firing and Sent Him Out on a Bike Ride: ‘You’re Gonna Be Fine. Ride Around, You’ll Feel…
MSNBC Faces Potential for Big Changes in Comcast Cable Spin-Off
Denzel Washington Lost Best Actor to Kevin Spacey and Stopped Voting for Oscars: ‘They Don’t Care About Me? I Don’t Care. I Gave Up. I Got Bitter…
‘The Studio’ Trailer: Movie Exec Seth Rogen Gets Berated by Scorsese, Charlize Theron, Ron Howard and More in Apple TV+ Comedy
Ralph Macchio on Why Now Was the Right Time to End 'Cobra Kai,' the Future of Daniel LaRusso and That Coldplay Music Video
‘Emily in Paris’ Season 5 Will Start Shooting in France Next Spring, Lucas Bravo to Return as Gabriel (EXCLUSIVE)
HBO Says ‘Harry Potter’ Series Will ‘Benefit’ From J.K. Rowling’s Involvement: She ‘Has the Right to Express Her Personal Views…
Denzel Washington Has Been Sober for 10 Years, Says He Used to Drink Two Bottles of Wine a Day and ‘I’ve Done Damage to the Body’
Liam Payne’s Funeral: One Direction’s Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson in Attendance
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Tweaked Its Ending During 36 Hours of Reshoots and After a Note From Blake Lively: ‘Let Me Be in That Place of Suspense…
Must Read
- Music
Grammy Nominations 2025: Beyonce Leads With 11 Nods
- Film
Mattel’s ‘Wicked’ Movie Dolls Mistakenly List Porn Site on Packaging
- Film
With ‘Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,’ Director Tyler Taormina Makes an Instant Holiday Classic
- TV
How ‘Office Ladies’ Transformed From a BFF Hang for Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey to One of the Biggest Podcasts in the World
Sign Up for Variety Newsletters
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Variety Confidential
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXOAjp%2BgpaVfo7K4v46jrKeZmZl6rLTAp2SamZ2ev265wKGYq5maYrumwMWloLFlqZbAqXnRmqFmnpmhurR5kGtqb2hlboZzgY4%3D