Supreme Court Directs Title Change for Netflix Film ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ Over Community Objections
The Supreme Court has instructed the makers of the upcoming Hindi film Ghooskhor Pandat to change its title, observing that it is “denigrative” towards a particular community. In an order passed on Thursday, the apex court directed the filmmakers to release the Netflix project under a different title.
According to news agency ANI, a bench led by Justice BV Nagarathna stated that the Court cannot allow any section of society to be insulted through a film’s title or other potentially offensive content. The bench warned the respondents that such denigration would not be permitted.
The controversy began after Netflix announced the film as part of its “Next on Netflix India” slate earlier this month and unveiled a first-look teaser. However, the title sparked objections from members of the Brahmin community, who termed it offensive and derogatory. The objection centered on the use of the word “ghooskhor” (meaning corrupt or bribe-taker) alongside “pandat,” a term associated with Brahmins or Hindu priests.
Backlash and Legal Action
The film faced immediate backlash, including protests in which effigies of producer Neeraj Pandey and director Ritesh Shah were reportedly burned. There was also opposition directed at lead actor Manoj Bajpayee and streaming platform Netflix.
An FIR was filed in Lucknow following directions from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. In response, producer Neeraj Pandey issued a statement acknowledging the hurt caused by the title while defending the intent of the film. He also confirmed that all promotional material, including the teaser released on YouTube and social media, had been taken down.
Pandey, who co-wrote and produced the film with director Ritesh Shah, apologised for the distress caused. He stated that the team respects the sentiments of viewers and decided to withdraw promotional content temporarily. He added that the film should be judged in its entirety and in the context of its story rather than based on limited promotional material.
About the Film
Ghooskhor Pandat stars Manoj Bajpayee alongside Nushrat Bharuccha, Saqib Saleem, Akshay Oberoi, and Divya Dutta. Written by Neeraj Pandey and Ritesh Shah, the film marks Shah’s directorial debut. It is scheduled to premiere on Netflix later this year, though an official release date has yet to be announced.
