Netflix India on Tuesday informed the Delhi High Court that the Manoj Bajpayee–starring film Ghooskhor Pandat will be renamed. The submission was made before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav during a hearing on a petition seeking to halt the film’s release, citing its title as “offensive” and “defamatory”, as reported by PTI.
“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,” recorded Justice Kaurav in the order.
‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ is produced by filmmaker Neeraj Pandey.
Netflix’s senior counsel further said the film, which is in editing stage, is a fictional police drama, and the title led to “unintended interruptions” which did not align with the film’s content.
The court was informed that all promotional material has also been taken down.
In view of the stand taken by Netflix, the court closed the proceedings on the petition, observing that “nothing more was required to be adjudicated”.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the Centre, told the court that the government had been informed that all promotional material related to the film had been withdrawn.
Netflix’s announcement of the Neeraj Pandey–directed and produced film earlier this month triggered widespread backlash on social media, with many users calling the title “casteist” and offensive.
Petitioner Mahender Chaturvedi, an acharya by vocation, claimed that the “malicious” association of “pandat” with corruption and bribery was an attack on the reputation and dignity of his community.
The title, the petition argued, insulted religious and cultural identity, and creative liberty could not be used as a shield to propagate defamatory narratives.
In the petition, Chaturvedi sought a stay on the release and streaming of the film. He also prayed for a direction to the central government to take “appropriate action” against the OTT platform as per the law.
“The impugned title ‘Pandat’ and content amount to collective defamation, as they deliberately associate a well-recognized religious and social designation with corruption and bribery, thereby maligning and lowering the reputation of an entire community in the eyes of the public,” the plea claimed.
