Manoj Bajpayee’s Ghooskhor Pandat row: Supreme Court asks makers to change title

Filmmaker Neeraj Pandey's upcoming film Ghooskhor Pandat has been attracting attention ever since its announcement, but for the wrong reasons. The movie landed in legal trouble over its title, which was slammed for being communally insensitive.

As a major update, on Thursday (Feb 12), the Supreme Court directed the makers of the film to change the title, saying it denigrates a section of society. The order to change the title comes after a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed seeking a stay on the release of Netflix's movie.

Ghooskhor Pandat controversy: Here's what the supreme court has said.

While hearing the plea, the apex court has directed the makers of the movie to change the title as they said that it's ''denigrative of a particular community.''

According to ANI, a bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan has warned the filmmakers that the Court cannot permit the release if any section of society is to be denigrated by the title of this film and other offensive material in the film (if any).

The court has also issued notices to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and director Neeraj.

As per PTI, the bench said,'' 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 court has also directed the makers to file an affidavit submitting the new title along with the other changes made in the movie.

The next hearing on the matter will be held on Feb 19, 2026.

What have makers said on the controversy?

Soon after the announcement of the movie at the Netflix event, the title faced significant backlash from a portion of society. This prompted the registration of an FIR, leading to the removal of all promotional content from various social media platforms. In response to the criticism, filmmaker Pandey provided clarification, explaining that the term is used simply as a colloquial name for a fictional character.

“Our film is a fictional cop drama, and the term ‘Pandat’ is used simply as a colloquial name for a fictional character. The story focuses on an individual’s actions and choices and does not comment on or represent any caste, religion, or community… We understand that the title of the film has caused hurt to some viewers, and we genuinely acknowledge those feelings. In light of these concerns, we have decided to take down all promotional materials for the time being, as we believe the film should be experienced in its entirety and understood in the context of the story we intended to tell, rather than judged on partial glimpses. We look forward to sharing the film with audiences soon,” he wrote.