Explained: Why Manoj Bajpayee's Ghooskhor Pandat has landed in controversy
Netflix's upcoming thriller Ghooskhor Pandat has landed in controversy over its title. A legal notice alleges the film defames the Pandit community, sparking a debate on creative freedom and cultural respect.
Ghooskhor Pandat, an upcoming Netflix thriller, starring Manoj Bajpayee, is embroiled in a controversy. The show was announced, and its teaser unveiled at an event in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Bajpayee plays Ajay Dikshit, a corrupt and morally compromised police officer in the film, who goes by the nickname Pandat. Set over the course of a single night, the story begins when Dikshit comes across a severely injured girl thrown out of a moving car, an encounter that pulls him into a larger conspiracy.
The film is directed by Ritesh Shah and co-written by Shah and Neeraj Pandey. It also features Nushrat Bharuccha and Saqib Saleem in important roles.
What sparked the controversy around Ghooskhor Pandat?
The trouble started soon after the teaser of Ghooskhor Pandat was unveiled at the 'Next on Netflix' event. A Mumbai-based lawyer, Ashutosh Dubey, sent a legal notice to Netflix and the makers of the film, objecting to the title.
So, what is the main issue? The use of the word Pandat (priest, religious scholar) in combination with ghooskhor (a term commonly used to refer to those who accept bribes). The notice claims this pairing is defamatory and amounts to an attack on the dignity of the 'pandit community'.
Why is the use of the word ‘Pandat’ being questioned?
According to Dubey's legal notice, the term Pandit (from which Pandat is derived) has deep roots in Indian civilisation and is traditionally linked to scholarship, spiritual authority, ethics and social respect.
According to the notice, the title Ghooskhor Pandat is “per se offensive” and objectionable because it pairs a word commonly linked to bribery and corruption with Pandit, which Dubey describes as a historically respected cultural, religious and intellectual identity. The notice argues that using the term in this way unfairly attaches 'criminality and moral depravity" to an identifiable community.
The notice also emphasised that corruption is an individual moral failing and should not be projected as a community trait.
What does the legal notice demand?
The notice demands the immediate withdrawal of the title Ghooskhor Pandat, calling it defamatory, unconstitutional and socially incendiary. It argues that the makers could have chosen a neutral or fictional title instead of one that draws from a community-linked identity.
It further states that freedom of expression does not extend to humiliating or vilifying a community under the guise of satire, fiction or entertainment, especially when the potential harm is foreseeable.
More trouble for the Netflix film
A group of people, identifying themselves as Brahmins, protested against Bhuskhor Pandat in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh's capital, on Thursday. Hundreds of people from the Brahmin community, dressed in dhoti-kurta, took to the streets to protest against the film and accused it of insulting and portraying Brahmins in a negative light.
As per a report by LiveLaw, another petition was filed in the Delhi High Court objecting to the planned release of the Netflix film. The plea, filed by Mahender Chaturvedi, who describes himself as an acharya (a teacher), claims that the show’s title and promotional content are defamatory, communally insensitive and infringe upon fundamental rights.
The plea argues that the portrayal stereotypes and demeans an entire religious group, potentially violating fundamental rights under Articles 14, 21 and 25 of the Constitution. The plea also flagged a lack of effective oversight by the government and OTT platforms like Netflix, and sought a stay on the release of the film until the issue is decided.
What do the makers say?
As of now, neither Netflix nor the makers of Ghooskhor Pandat have issued an official response to the legal notice. They haven’t clarified whether the title will be changed or if the project will go ahead as planned.
Ghooskhor Pandat, an upcoming Netflix thriller, starring Manoj Bajpayee, is embroiled in a controversy. The show was announced, and its teaser unveiled at an event in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Bajpayee plays Ajay Dikshit, a corrupt and morally compromised police officer in the film, who goes by the nickname Pandat. Set over the course of a single night, the story begins when Dikshit comes across a severely injured girl thrown out of a moving car, an encounter that pulls him into a larger conspiracy.
The film is directed by Ritesh Shah and co-written by Shah and Neeraj Pandey. It also features Nushrat Bharuccha and Saqib Saleem in important roles.
What sparked the controversy around Ghooskhor Pandat?
The trouble started soon after the teaser of Ghooskhor Pandat was unveiled at the 'Next on Netflix' event. A Mumbai-based lawyer, Ashutosh Dubey, sent a legal notice to Netflix and the makers of the film, objecting to the title.
So, what is the main issue? The use of the word Pandat (priest, religious scholar) in combination with ghooskhor (a term commonly used to refer to those who accept bribes). The notice claims this pairing is defamatory and amounts to an attack on the dignity of the 'pandit community'.
Why is the use of the word ‘Pandat’ being questioned?
According to Dubey's legal notice, the term Pandit (from which Pandat is derived) has deep roots in Indian civilisation and is traditionally linked to scholarship, spiritual authority, ethics and social respect.
According to the notice, the title Ghooskhor Pandat is “per se offensive” and objectionable because it pairs a word commonly linked to bribery and corruption with Pandit, which Dubey describes as a historically respected cultural, religious and intellectual identity. The notice argues that using the term in this way unfairly attaches 'criminality and moral depravity" to an identifiable community.
The notice also emphasised that corruption is an individual moral failing and should not be projected as a community trait.
What does the legal notice demand?
The notice demands the immediate withdrawal of the title Ghooskhor Pandat, calling it defamatory, unconstitutional and socially incendiary. It argues that the makers could have chosen a neutral or fictional title instead of one that draws from a community-linked identity.
It further states that freedom of expression does not extend to humiliating or vilifying a community under the guise of satire, fiction or entertainment, especially when the potential harm is foreseeable.
More trouble for the Netflix film
A group of people, identifying themselves as Brahmins, protested against Bhuskhor Pandat in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh's capital, on Thursday. Hundreds of people from the Brahmin community, dressed in dhoti-kurta, took to the streets to protest against the film and accused it of insulting and portraying Brahmins in a negative light.
As per a report by LiveLaw, another petition was filed in the Delhi High Court objecting to the planned release of the Netflix film. The plea, filed by Mahender Chaturvedi, who describes himself as an acharya (a teacher), claims that the show’s title and promotional content are defamatory, communally insensitive and infringe upon fundamental rights.
The plea argues that the portrayal stereotypes and demeans an entire religious group, potentially violating fundamental rights under Articles 14, 21 and 25 of the Constitution. The plea also flagged a lack of effective oversight by the government and OTT platforms like Netflix, and sought a stay on the release of the film until the issue is decided.
What do the makers say?
As of now, neither Netflix nor the makers of Ghooskhor Pandat have issued an official response to the legal notice. They haven’t clarified whether the title will be changed or if the project will go ahead as planned.