Feb 06, 2026 11:12am IST
‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ Title Row: Neeraj Pandey Says Film “Does Not Comment On Any Caste,” Withdraws Promotional Content
At the recent Netflix slate launch event in Mumbai, filmmaker Neeraj Pandey announced his next film with Manoj Bajpayee titled “Ghooskhor Pandat”. The cop drama stars Bajpayee in the lead as a morally ambiguous police officer fighting the system in his own complicated ways. While the trailer was largely applauded by audiences, the film’s title, specifically the use of the word “Pandat,” that, reportedly offended members of a certain community, following which a plea was filed against the filmmaker and the film.
Neeraj Pandey has now issued a clarification regarding the title and made it clear that there was never any intention to offend any community. The filmmaker has also decided to temporarily take down all promotional material related to the film from the internet.
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In his official statement addressing the controversy around “Ghooskhor Pandat", Pandey said, “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. As a filmmaker, I approach my work with a deep sense of responsibility—to tell stories that are thoughtful and respectful. This film, like my earlier work, has been created with sincere intent and solely to entertain audiences.”
Confirming the decision to withdraw promotional assets, Pandey added, “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. I look forward to sharing the film with audiences soon.”
For context, a plea was filed in the Delhi High Court by Mahender Chaturvedi through advocate Vineet Jindal, expressing concern over the use of the term “Pandat” in the title “Ghooskhor Pandat”. The petition sought the issuance of a writ of mandamus directing authorities to restrain the streaming of the film. Additionally, The Film Makers Combine, a prominent industry body, also sent Neeraj Pandey a notice objecting to the title.
According to the notice, the makers did not obtain the mandatory approval for the title of “Ghooskhor Pandat" as per industry rules. Pandey was warned that if the film proceeded with that title without proper authorization, disciplinary action could be initiated.
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