Ghooskhor Pandat row reaches Delhi High Court.
Netflix agrees to change the film title.
Petition over communal offence disposed of by the court.
The petition seeking a stay on release was disposed of after the platform assured the court that promotional material had been withdrawn.The Ghooskhor Pandat row has taken a decisive turn, with Netflix agreeing to change the film’s title after the matter reached the Delhi High Court. During the hearing, the streaming platform told the court that the producer of the Manoj Bajpayee-starrer had taken a “conscious decision” to adopt an alternative title that better reflects the film’s narrative and intent.
Delhi High Court disposes petition
The submission was made in response to a petition filed by Mahender Chaturvedi, who sought a stay on the film’s release and streaming. The petitioner argued that the title Ghooskhor Pandat was defamatory and communally offensive, claiming it tarnished the image of Hindu priests and a particular community. The plea also alleged that the proposed content could be socially inflammatory.
Taking note of Netflix’s statement, the court observed that the grievance primarily concerned the title. After being informed that the makers had agreed to change it and that all related promotional material had already been removed from social media platforms, the court found no reason to continue with the proceedings. The petition was subsequently disposed of.
The controversy had intensified in recent days, with calls for a ban from certain groups. However, with Netflix’s assurance and the decision to rename the project, the immediate legal hurdle appears to have been cleared.
About the film
Produced by Neeraj Pandey, the film stars Manoj Bajpayee in the lead role as a corrupt police officer. The ensemble cast includes Divya Dutta, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Saqib Saleem, Shraddha Das, Akshay Oberoi and Kiku Sharda.
The film is scheduled to release on the OTT platform Netflix.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
