‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ Row: Netflix to Change Title of Manoj Bajpayee Film
The move follows backlash over the teaser of the Neeraj Pandey-backed thriller, with some viewers alleging the title was derogatory to the Brahmin community.
Netflix India has informed the Delhi High Court that it will change the title of its upcoming Manoj Bajpayee-starrer Ghooskhor Pandat, following a petition seeking a stay on the film’s release over its allegedly “offensive” and “defamatory” title.
The development comes days after the teaser of the Neeraj Pandey-backed thriller was unveiled at a Netflix event, triggering backlash from a section of viewers who claimed the title was derogatory to the Brahmin community. A Mumbai-based lawyer subsequently issued a legal notice to the makers and the streamer, while a separate petition was filed before the Delhi High Court.
“The producer has taken a conscious decision in light of the concern that has arisen to change the title of the film from ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ to an alternate title which more accurately reflects the film’s narrative and intent,” the court recorded in the order, according to a news report in The Hindu.
Netflix’s senior counsel told the court that the project, currently in the editing stage, is a fictional police drama and that the original title had led to “unintended interruptions” that did not align with the film’s content. The streamer also informed the bench that all promotional material bearing the earlier title had been taken down.
In view of the submission, the court closed the proceedings, observing that “nothing more was required to be adjudicated.”
The petitioner had sought a stay on the release and streaming of the film and requested directions to the Centre to initiate action against the OTT platform.
Billed as a gritty thriller, the film also stars Nushrat Bharuccha, Saqib Saleem, Akshay Oberoi, Divya Dutta and Shraddha Das. Ghooskhor Pandat is directed by Ritesh Shah, who has also written it with Pandey.
In a statement issued amid the controversy, Pandey had said that the film is a fictional cop drama and that “Pandat” was used as a colloquial name for a character, not as a reference to any caste, religion or community. “The story focuses on an individual’s actions and choices and does not comment on or represent any caste, religion, or community,” he had said, adding that the film was made with “sincere intent” and a sense of responsibility.