Junaid Khan will star opposite Khushi Kapoor and Sai Pallavi next.
Junaid Khan reveals being flooded with offers even before Maharaj. He adds how Aditya Chopra saw his screen test from another film and decided to cast him.
The shoot of YRF and Netflix’s Maharaj might have been completed in 2021 but it has finally hit the screens in 2024. The film, which marks the debut of Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan, was supposed to be released in early June but a stay order was imposed after a plea alleged that it hurt the sentiments of the Pushtimarg community. However, the Gujarat High Court cleared the film and lifted the stay order, eventually leading to Maharaj’s release on Netflix.
While most actors many be making their film debuts in their late teens or twenties, Junaid decided to take it slow. In an exclusive conversation with News18 Showsha, the 31-year-old reveals that though he had been receiving offers, he let his fate decide the right time for his debut. “Before Maharaj happened, I had been receiving scripts. I’ve been doing plays in Mumbai since 2017. At that time, I would also be offered film scripts and get calls for auditions and readings, on an on-and-off basis,” he tells us.
In fact, he was roped in for Maharaj after the makers saw one of his other screen tests. “Siddharth (P Malhotra; director) sir and Adi (Aditya Chopra; producer) sir saw my test for another film before they called me in for Maharaj. This is my first film because this is the first thing that worked out for everybody,” remarks Junaid, who already has a film with Khushi Kapoor – a remake of Tamil film Love Today in the pipeline.
At a time when a strong social media game and surrendering to the paparazzi culture have become an integral part of an actor’s profession, Junaid decided to steer clear from both. While he still doesn’t have a social media account, it’s only recently that the shutterbugs began capturing him. Quiz him if that was a thought-out call taken by his family and he says, “Not really. People didn’t know what I looked like largely because I never took to social media even when it became a thing. There was no conscious decision there. It’s just how it happened and panned out.”
And what has the response from members of the film fraternity and his loved ones been like for his performance in Maharaj? “It has been really heartwarming and gratifying. A lot of people from the industry who have liked the film have reached out. I’ve had classmates from college who I haven’t spoken to in ten years and school texting me. I’ve had lots of conversations with Adi sir. He really liked the film and my work in it,” shares an overwhelmed Junaid.
Maharaj also received a thumbs up from Sai Pallavi, who congratulated him for his maiden film. The duo will share screen space in a love story tentatively titled Ek Din set in Sapporo, which is being produced by Junaid’s father Aamir Khan. The Japan schedule of the film has already been wrapped and as per reports, the second phase of the shoot will begin in Mumbai soon. While he remains tight-lipped about the project, he’s elated to be sharing screen space with Sai as he says, “Sai Pallavi is absolutely fantastic. I’ve my fingers crossed for this one.”
