Supreme Court Closes Case on ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ After Title Withdrawn; Film to Release Under New Name
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Thursday disposed of a plea seeking a stay on the release of the film Ghooskhor Pandat after filmmaker Neeraj Pandey informed the court that the contentious title and all related promotional material had been withdrawn.
A Bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan recorded Pandey’s affidavit and observed that the development should bring the controversy to a close.
The court noted that it expected the matter to attain finality in all respects following the undertaking given by the filmmaker.
Filmmaker’s Undertaking to Court
In his affidavit, Pandey assured the court that the film would be released under a completely new title that would neither resemble nor evoke the earlier name.
While the revised title has not yet been finalised, he committed that it would accurately reflect the storyline and avoid any resemblance to the disputed wording.
The court had earlier expressed strong reservations about the original title, remarking that freedom of expression cannot extend to denigrating any section of society.
During the February 12 hearing, the Bench questioned the intent behind the naming of the film and made it clear that it would not permit the release unless the title was changed.
PIL and Legal Proceedings
The matter reached the apex court following a public interest litigation seeking a stay on the release of the Manoj Bajpayee-starrer, which was scheduled to stream on Netflix.
The plea argued that the title promoted caste-based stereotyping and hurt the dignity and religious sentiments of a particular community.
In addition to hearing the petition, the Bench had issued notices to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and Neeraj Pandey.
The judges had observed that such a title could be contrary to morality and public order.
Parallel legal action had also been initiated at the local level, with an FIR registered at Hazratganj police station in Lucknow alleging that the title associated a community term with corruption.
Protests were reported in Bhopal and other cities, while the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) publicly objected to the film’s original name.
Promotional Material Removed
Even before the court’s final order, the makers had begun damage control. All posters, teasers, and digital promotions bearing the original title were taken down.
In a statement issued earlier, Pandey clarified that the film is a fictional cop drama and that the disputed term referred only to a character’s colloquial name, not to any community.
He acknowledged the sentiments expressed by critics and said the team decided to pause promotions so the film could be viewed in its full narrative context rather than judged solely by its title.
About the Film
Directed by Ritesh Shah and Neeraj Pandey, the crime thriller stars Manoj Bajpayee in the lead role. The ensemble cast includes Nushrratt Bharuccha, Saqib Saleem, Akshay Oberoi, Divya Dutta, Shraddha Das, and Kiku Sharda.
With the title officially withdrawn and a fresh one awaited, the film’s release timeline will now depend on compliance with the court’s directions and certification processes.
The Supreme Court’s intervention underscores the delicate balance between creative freedom and social responsibility in India’s entertainment landscape — a debate that continues to shape the industry.
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