Padmavati to Padmaavat, Mental Hai Kya to Judgemental Hai Kya: Films that faced title backlash before Ghooskhor Pandat

Manoj Bajpayee’s film Ghooskhor Pandat is facing huge backlash over its title, with a section of society slamming the movie for allegedly hurting the sentiments of a community. An FIR has been filed against director Neeraj Pandey, and protests have been taking place. However, this is not the first time a movie has faced backlash over its title.

As the controversy around the Netflix movie grew, here we take a look at other films that have faced backlash over their titles.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, and Shahid Kapoor was initially titled Padmavati, as it tells the story of Rani Padmavati, a Rajput queen. Before its release, religious groups like the Karni Sena raised concerns over the title and suggested that the film would portray her life inaccurately, especially after rumours went viral claiming that the movie showed the queen in a romantic angle with Alauddin Khilji. The movie was released after the makers changed he name of the movie.

Akshay Kumar’s movie was initially titled Laxmmi Bomb. However, the film faced massive backlash for using the name of a Hindu goddess with the word “bomb,” which was seen as derogatory. After the backlash, the makers decided to change the name of the movie.

The movie starring Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Kareena Kapoor Khan got into a legal battle with the CBFC. The organisation demanded 89 cuts, including the removal of the word “Punjab” from the title. Challenging the CBFC’s demands, the producers filed a case in the Bombay High Court, where they were granted permission to release the film.

Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao’s film was earlier titled Mental Hai Kya, which many mental health activists found insensitive to people suffering from mental illness. The title was eventually changed to Judgemental Hai Kya following the Central Board of Film Certification's instructions.