Highlights
- Apex court says title is denigrative of a particular community
- Film stars Manoj Bajpayee and marks Ritesh Shah’s directorial debut
- Promotional material withdrawn following backlash and FIR
Court flags ‘denigrative’ title
The Supreme Court of India has directed the makers of the forthcoming Hindi film Ghooskhor Pandat to change its title, stating that it cannot permit any section of society to be denigrated.
According to reports, a bench led by Justice BV Nagarathna instructed the filmmakers to release the Netflix project under an alternative name. The court observed that it would not allow a title, or any other material in the film, to disparage a particular community.
Backlash over terminology
The controversy centres on the use of the word “ghooskhor”, meaning corrupt or one who takes bribes, alongside “pandat”, a term associated with Brahmins or Hindu priests. Members of the Brahmin community objected to the title, calling it offensive and derogatory.
The film was unveiled earlier this month as part of Netflix’s ‘Next on Netflix India’ slate, accompanied by a first-look teaser. However, criticism quickly followed, including protests in which effigies of producer Neeraj Pandey and director Ritesh Shah were burned. Objections were also raised against lead actor Manoj Bajpayee and the streaming platform.
An FIR was later filed in Lucknow on the directive of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Producer withdraws promotional material
In response, Neeraj Pandey issued a statement acknowledging the hurt caused by the title while defending the film’s intent. He confirmed that all promotional content, including the teaser shared on YouTube and social media, had been taken down.
“We understand that the title of the film has caused hurt to some viewers, and we genuinely acknowledge those feelings,” Pandey said. He added that the decision to withdraw the material was taken so the film could be viewed in its entirety rather than judged on limited excerpts.
About the film
Ghooskhor Pandat stars Manoj Bajpayee in the lead, alongside Nushrat Bharuccha, Saqib Saleem, Akshay Oberoi and Divya Dutta. The screenplay has been written by Neeraj Pandey and Ritesh Shah, with Shah also making his directorial debut on the project.
The film is slated for release on Netflix later this year, though a date has yet to be announced.
