The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up filmmaker Neeraj Pandey over the title of his upcoming film ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’, observing that such naming amounts to denigration of a section of society and could violate principles of morality and public order.
A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Atul Mishra, National Organisation Secretary of the Brahman Samaj of India, seeking a stay on the film’s release on Netflix. The movie, starring Manoj Bajpayee and produced by Pandey, was recently announced at a Netflix event in Mumbai.
“Why should you denigrate a section of society by using such a title? This is against morality and public order. We will not allow you to release the film unless you tell us the changed title,” the bench told the makers.
The Court has issued notice to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and the filmmaker, seeking their response. It directed Pandey to submit an affidavit affirming that the film does not denigrate any community.
The matter will next be heard on February 19.
The petition alleges that the film’s title promotes caste- and religion-based stereotyping, threatening public order, communal harmony, and constitutional values. It specifically objects to the juxtaposition of the term “Pandat” — which identifies a caste and religious group — with “Ghooskhor,” meaning bribe-taker, claiming it portrays the Brahmin community in a derogatory light.
The plea urged the court to restrain Netflix from streaming the film, arguing that the content and title are “prima facie offensive” and amount to defamation of a particular caste.
The film features a high-profile cast including Manoj Bajpayee, Nushrat Bharuccha, Saqib Saleem, Akshay Oberoi, and Divya Dutta. Details of the storyline remain under wraps, but its release on Netflix has been highly anticipated following the streamer’s promotional event.
The Supreme Court’s intervention now puts the film’s release in question, pending a satisfactory affidavit from the filmmaker and the Centre’s response. The case adds to the growing legal scrutiny over caste representations in Indian cinema and streaming content.
