Maharaj actors Junaid Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat talk about their prep and weight loss

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In this YRF-production, Jaideep Ahlawat plays the role of Jadunath Maharaj. To play this complex and layered character, Ahlawat was initially hesitant. “Though Jaideep first said no. We had to convince him because we knew only he could play such a character,” Malhotra says. Once the actor came on board, he underwent a physical transformation, losing over 25 kilos. Khan too lost nearly as much weight for the film.

Recalling his preparation process, Ahlawat says: “It was the first project I took up after the first lockdown. I started working out in mid-September in 2020. The character I play has lots of charm. The transformation worked creating the character of this man who believes that he is some (divine) avatar.” In Maharaj, Ahlawat ‘s character conveys a lot through his smile and smugness. Talking about it, the Paatal Lok actor says: “In this case, Jadunath Maharaj’s silence and smile were meant to make people feel small and less confident about them.”

The challenge for Khan was to capture the body language of a man who lived nearly 150 years ago. HIs year-long preparation involved developing Mulji’s personality based on what’s available in the public domain. The debutant actor also had to learn a dialect that his character used. While Maharaj was in the making for a long time, Khan has already taken up a couple of other projects — one made by Aamir Khan Productions (AKP) and another by Phantom Studios. “I am also acting in a play, which will be staged at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai, in September,” he adds.

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The film Maharaj is based on a novel written by Gujarati writer Saurabh Shah about the landmark case fought in the then Bombay Supreme Court in 1862. Screenwriters Vipul Mehta and Sneha Desai have worked on its script. “We went through nearly 60-70 drafts before finalising the script. Respecting the sentiments of people, we took out whatever was objectionable,” says Malhotra and adds that Karsandas Mulji, who is forgotten today is an “unsung hero”.