‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ will be renamed: Netflix to Delhi HC

Netflix India on Tuesday informed the Delhi High Court that the Manoj Bajpayee-starrer film, Ghooskhor Pandat, will be renamed.

The statement was made before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, who was dealing with a petition seeking a stay on the release of the film on account of its “offensive” and “defamatory” title.

“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.

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”.

Netflix’s announcement of the film, directed by filmmaker Neeraj Pandey, earlier this month sparked a storm on social media, with many users terming the title ‘casteist’ and offensive.

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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.