The Supreme Court on Thursday disposed of a plea concerning Manoj Bajpayee‘s upcoming film, Ghooskhor Pandat, after filmmaker Neeraj Pandey submitted an affidavit confirming that he had withdrawn the original title along with all associated publicity material. The move came after the court had earlier raised concerns over the title, noting that freedom of expression cannot justify content that denigrates a section of society.
Neeraj Panday withdraws title
A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan accepted Neeraj’s affidavit on record and observed that it is expected the matter will now reach a quietus in all respects. According to ANI, Neeraj in his afidavit stated, “I respectfully submit that the earlier title, Ghooskhor Pandat, stands unequivocally withdrawn and shall not be used in any manner whatsoever. Although the new title has not yet been finalised, I undertake that any title that may later be identified and adopted shall not be similar to, or evocative of, the earlier title.”
He further clarified that any future title would accurately reflect the narrative of the Manoj Bajpayee-starrer and would avoid the issues that had triggered the controversy. “While the new title has not yet been finalised, I undertake that any title that may hereafter be identified and adopted shall not be similar to, or evocative of, the earlier title in respect of which objections were raised, and shall accurately reflect the narrative,” the filmmaker said as per a PTI report.
The Supreme Court had previously taken note of public concerns regarding the title, issuing strong observations on February 12. The bench emphasised that creative freedom must be balanced with social responsibility and that cinema should not be used to denigrate or offend communities in the guise of artistic expression. The petition in question sought a stay on the release of Ghooskhor Pandat on the OTT platform Netflix, citing objections over the title.
About Ghooskhor Pandat
The upcoming Netflix film, directed by Neeraj Pandey, is a fictional crime drama centering on a complex police investigation led by a morally ambiguous officer played by Manoj Bajpayee. The story follows this central character, a law enforcement figure entangled in a web of corruption and conspiracy, whose choices drive the narrative through suspense, action and interpersonal conflict. Alongside Manoj, the ensemble cast includes Nushrat Bharuccha, Saqib Saleem, Akshay Oberoi, and Divya Dutta.
