Maharaj

Siddharth P Malhotra's direction is simple. He doesn't waste time and the story begins from the first scene itself. He also understands the sensitivity of the plot and takes care of it. The film raises several questions but doesn't attack any religion. Through the protagonist's talks, it is clear that he's targeting exploitation in the garb of religion. He also doesn't go overboard and yet, packs a punch. The scene where Karsandas sees his fiancé with the Maharaj is disturbing but is not titillating. A few other scenes that stand out are Karsandas being ousted from his house, Karsandas' monologue after the temple is shut and Karsandas challenging the Maharaj. The finale is clapworthy.

Telling people they are wrong is not enough. You need to give them a chance to reform and rehabilitate and that will bring about the real change.

Ironically, the court sequences, despite being based on a real case, emerge as the weakest parts of the film. Junaid's performance seems a little theatrical there, and the monologue in the witness box comes across as preachy. The writer-director team fails to maintain the thrill and drama expected in such courtroom scenes. The music of the film is also quite average, but this project doesn't rely heavily on song-dance sequences. While the makers successfully recreate the 1800s, the characters sometimes appear more confident and extroverted than one would expect from that era, especially in matters of courtship and expressing love. However, full points to director Siddharth P Malhotra for ably handling a sensitive film like this. It must have been like walking a tightrope. Well, the grip did falter a bit, but he did successfully manage to walk across.

Dharm se zyaada koi hinsak yudh nahin hai.