05 February,2026 01:17 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Manoj Bajpayee
The upcoming film Ghooskhor Pandat, starring Manoj Bajpayee, has landed in controversy even before its release, with strong objections raised over its title. While the teaser recently generated attention, the film's name quickly became the center of legal challenges and public criticism, intensifying the debate around creative freedom and community sensitivity.
Mumbai based advocate Ashutosh Dubey has sent a legal notice to Netflix and the film's makers, demanding that the title be withdrawn immediately. In the notice, he described the title as "defamatory, community vilifying, unconstitutional, and socially incendiary." He argued that pairing a term associated with bribery with the word "Pandit," which he said is "deeply rooted in Indian civilisation" and traditionally represents scholarship, spiritual authority, ethical conduct, and social respect, unfairly links "criminality and moral depravity" to a respected community identity. The notice further states that such usage is "per se offensive" and "objectionable," adding that corruption is "an individual moral failing and should not be projected as a community trait."
The matter has also reached the Delhi High Court, where advocate Vineet Jindal filed a petition seeking a stay on the film's release. According to the plea, the use of "Pandat" in the title and narrative "amounts to collective defamation," as it allegedly associates a recognised religious and social designation with corruption and bribery, thereby "maligning and lowering the reputation of an entire community in the eyes of the public." The petition also argues that constitutional protections are being violated and that freedom of speech does not extend to "hate speech, defamation, or content that undermines communal harmony, public order, and constitutional morality." Dubey's notice similarly stressed that creative freedom should not become a shield for material that harms the dignity of a community.
The controversy has gained further traction on social media. Supreme Court lawyer Shashank Shekhar Jha wrote on X, "Hello Netflix India, normalisation of hatred against Pandits and Brahmins won't be tolerated. I'll see you in Court." Critics have also suggested that if corruption was the central theme, neutral terms like "Officer" or "Babu" could have been used instead of referencing a community, with one commenter claiming the choice reflects a pattern of demonising certain groups.
So far, neither Netflix nor the filmmakers have issued an official response to the legal notice or the petition. With legal proceedings underway and criticism continuing to mount, the fate of the film's title and its release now remains uncertain.
