“It was wonderful working with Yash Raj Films for the first time” – Jamie Alter

Before its release, Yash Raj Films’ ‘Maharaj’ had to deal with a fair bit of controversy. A few days ago, Netflix released the official poster of the film and stated that the film would be releasing on June 14^th. As the film inched closer to its release date, one wondered why Yash Raj Films or Netflix is not releasing a trailer, teaser, songs or any other promotional material related to the film. Perhaps, the stakeholders had anticipated trouble. The film, which features Junaid Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharwari Wagh and Shalini Pandey in principal roles, is about the Maharaj Libel Case, a trial which happened in the year 1862. A day before the film was scheduled to release on Netflix, the Gujarat High Court put a stay order on its release. A few days later, the court cleared the film for a release. Post its release on Netflix, the film has been received quite warmly by a section of the audience and there has been no controversy.

In the film, Jamie Alter plays the role of Arnsty, a young lawyer who defends Karsandas Mulji in the court. As a righteous and confident lawyer, Jamie left a solid impact with his performance. The actor, who has earlier been seen in films like ‘Kannadiga’ (2021) and ‘The Archies’ (2023) and shows like ‘Afsos’ (2020) and ‘Undekhi’ (2022-2024), is happy to see the response for the film and his performance.

‘Maharaj’ was shot in the year 2021. You had to wait for three long years to see the film getting a release. How was this process like?

It can be a little frustrating to wait for a long period of time to see a film you have worked on to come out. However, I greatly cherish my experience of working on ‘Maharaj’. I was brought on board a day before Diwali in 2020. Covid was very strong at that time. It was one of the first films to go on floors post Covid. I did a look test in January 2021 and we started shooting in February 2021. The film got wrapped in August 2021. I finished shooting for my portions in June 2021.

Once you finish working on a film, you expect to come out in 6-8 months. You have certain expectations from the film. The film got delayed because of various reasons. It got a quiet release. However, now it is getting a lot of appreciation. It is a bittersweet experience.

You have got limited screen-time in the film. However, it is a well etched out role which leaves an impact. You play a lawyer who stands up for what is right. Mike Gomes, the character you played in ‘The Archies’, too, was a righteous character.

The first feature film I ever shot for was called ‘Alex Hindustani’. I played the titular role in the film. In that film, my character stands up against the British Empire. The film, unfortunately, never released.

You played the lead role in ‘Alex Hindustani’. In the last few years, one has seen a lot of inclusivity and diversity in films and web shows being made in India. Do you hope to play lead roles again?

More than films, OTT should be credited for bringing this change. ‘Alex Hindustani’ was shot in 2010. It was probably written in 2005 or 2006. As much as the writing has improved, a role like Alex Hindustani is hard to come by. Of course, I would like to play lead roles. However, I have to be practical in my expectations. In the last few years, I was offered a few lead roles but they were all stereotypical characters. That is something I didn’t want to do.

‘Maharaj’ has been directed by Siddharth P Malhotra who has earlier helmed films like ‘We Are Family’ (2010) and ‘Hichki’ (2018). He has also been a producer on television for years. How was the experience of working with him?

Sid was the first person who got in touch with me for the film. We have a family connection. When I spoke to him, I didn’t immediately recognize him. However, we had met several years back. His father Prem Kishan ji was a reputed TV producer and my dad, Mr. Tom Alter, had worked with him on a couple of shows. My dad worked on his show ‘Junoon’ for five years. He also did ‘Ghutan’ which was shot in Mussoorie. They were doing recce for the show in Mussoorie and that’s when we crossed paths for the first time. Sid must have been in college then and I was in high school. There was a mutual connection and a sense of respect for what my father did.

For this particular character in ‘Maharaj’, they wanted somebody who could speak in Hindi. There were a few scenes which would have given the viewers some idea as to why the trial is happening in Hindi. They Googled ‘Tom Alter’s son’ and watched some of my videos on YouTube. When a director puts your faith in you, things become a lot easier. Working with Sid was a fantastic experience. The entire atmosphere on the set was very warm and positive. My father taught Jaideep in FTII.

‘Maharaj’ marks Junaid Khan’s debut as an actor in cinema. You saw him take his first steps in front of the camera. What kind of interaction did you have with him on the sets?

I met Junaid for the first time during a reading session for the film. Sid, Sneha (Desai, writer), Jaideep, Junaid, Marc, Jai and I were a part of that session. He is extremely humble. He had a vanity can but would often sit outside. We spent a lot of time talking on the sets. All my scenes in the film are with him. I remember congratulating him once for deciding to start his career with an offbeat role. Junaid comes from a theatre background. He told me he was giving auditions for a while. When he auditioned for this film, they didn’t know that he was Aamir Khan’s son. Doing a film of this kind was a big risk for him but I am glad it has paid off. When I saw him say that monologue in the court, I realized he is good at his craft.

Are you still pursuing sports journalism?

Yes, it will always be a part of my life. I had to turn down several projects in the past because of my commitments as a sports journalist. Since January, there have been five test matches. IPL went on for two months. After that, there was the 20-20 World Cup in New York. Whenever I get an acting opportunity, I check my calendar and then, take a call. I shot for the third season of ‘Undekhi’ two days before the World Cup started last year. I shot for Ram Madhavani’s show during the World Cup. During IPL, I shot for ‘Freedom at Midnight’. Sometimes, it gets very hectic. I have been doing sports journalism for nineteen years and it is an integral part of my life.

What are you doing next?

I have three web series lined up for release. Nikkhil Advani’s ‘Freedom At Midnight’ should be the next release. Ram Madhavani’s ‘Making of a Nation’ should come out after that. I had shot for a show commissioned by Jio Cinema a while back. That should also come out soon. I will start shooting for a film around September – October. I am part of a children’s film called ‘Dupki’. It has been directed by a young filmmaker called Abhay Punjabi.