Junaid Khan’s debut movie Maharaj faced severe backlash from a certain group of audience before its release as it hinted at the misdeeds of a powerful religious leader. Even a stay order was imposed on the release of the movie which was later lifted. Reacting to the same, actress Priyal Gor said that controversies are not uncommon for movies like these. She was confident that after all the blockage Maharaj would be eventually released. 

In an interview with News18, Priyal said “Controversies are not uncommon for movies like these. If filmmakers have created a huge setup and made a project like this, obviously they have thought about it. Although there was a bit of fear and uncertainty due to the timing, I had confidence that the movie would eventually be released.” 

“Definitely, social media has made it easier for people to express their opinions and initiate boycott or protest trends. It’s unfortunate that some people have lots of time to engage in such activities,” she added. 

Priyal also said, “I actually got lucky with this project. The director of this movie, coincidentally, was the producer for a previous project I was involved in. During the uncertain times of lockdown, I had reached out to him, expressing my interest in future projects. He later called me and offered the role of Leelavati in Maharaja. Since it was a small role, he wasn’t sure if I would be okay in doing it. But considering the project, I really wanted to be a part of it.” 

Maharaj showcases a powerful leader named Jadunathji Maharaj who allegedly sexually assaulted female followers. A Journalist named Karsandas Mulji exposed his misdeed in his Bombay-based Gujarati newspaper The Satya Prakash. The movie also stars Shalini Pandey, Jaideep Ahlawat, Reshham Sahaani, Sameer Paranjape and Mark Bennington in pivotal roles. It was released on the OTT platform Netflix.