FIR against film ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ for allegedly hurting public sentiments

The Uttar Pradesh Police has filed a first information report against the makers of the film Ghooskhor Pandat for allegedly hurting public sentiments and disturbing social harmony, India Today reported on Friday.

The row erupted after streaming platform Netflix on Tuesday released its slate of films and series for 2026. A teaser for Ghooskhor Pandat, directed by Neeraj Panday and Ritesh Shah, was also released.

The film, starring Manoj Bajpayee, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Shraddha Das, was criticised by some groups for its title that allegedly vilified the Brahmin community.

The use of the word “pandat”, associated with the Brahmin community and also meaning a priest, with “ghooskhor”, a term for someone who accepts bribes, sparked the uproar.

The FIR was filed in Lucknow based on complaints claiming that the film’s title and its contents hurt religious and caste sentiments, and could disturb public harmony, ANI quoted unidentified police officers as saying on Friday.

The officers said that there had been widespread anger in the Brahmin community and several social organisations, with some groups threatening to protest against the film. A policy of zero-tolerance would be followed against any attempt to hurt community sentiments and disturb public peace, the news agency quoted officers as having said.

A petition was also filed in the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the film, ANI reported. The petition alleged that its title and the content were defamatory and communally offensive.

Following the controversy, Pandey said on Friday that the film was a fictional police drama, adding that the term “pandat” had been “used simply as a colloquial name for a fictional character”.

The story focused on a character’s actions and choices, and did not comment on or represent any caste, religion or community, the director said in a statement. “As a filmmaker, I approach my work with a deep sense of responsibility – to tell stories that are thoughtful and respectful,” he added.

Pandey said that in light of the concerns raised about the film, his team had “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”.

He added: “We look forward to sharing the film with audiences soon.”

Bajpayee said in a statement that he respected the emotions and concerns shared about the film, adding that he took them seriously.

“When something you are part of causes hurt to some people, it makes you pause and listen,” the actor said on social media. “As an actor, I come to a film through the character and the story I am playing. For me, this was about portraying a flawed individual and his journey of self-realisation.”

He added that the film was not meant to be a comment about any community.

“In my experience of working with Neeraj Pandey, there has been a consistent seriousness and care in how he approaches his films,” Bajpayee said.

The filmmakers have decided to take down the promotional material reflected the seriousness with which the concerns had been taken, the actor added.

BSP’s Mayawati calls for ban

Amid the controversy, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati demanded that the Union government immediately ban the “casteist” film.

“It is a matter of great sadness and concern that for some time now, not only in Uttar Pradesh but also in films, the ‘Pandat’ has been insulted and disrespected across the country by portraying them as bribe-takers…” she said on social media.

The FIR against the film was an appropriate step, she added.