Director and team of Netflix movie Ghooskhor Pandat slapped with FIR after CM Adityanath’s order An FIR (First Information Report) has been registered against the director and team of the upcoming Netflix project, Ghooskhor Pandat. The lawsuit comes amid furious controversy over the title and promotional material of the film that critics say offended religious and caste sentiments.
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The FIR was filed on the basis of public complaints, police action
Police officials said the FIR was registered at Hazratganj Police Station in Lucknow after it received complaints that the title of the film and its teaser, to be released on Thursday, could disturb social harmony and hurt religious and caste-based sentiments. The police acted after receiving complaints from members of the public about the content, authorities said.
The FIR has listed the film’s director, Neeraj Pandey along with some of his team members and police have already begun their legal examination after being pressed by these charges.
Netflix Removes Promotional Material
After the FIR, Netflix India is said to have removed promotional posts and teaser of Ghooskhor Pandat from its social media platforms. In a signal of escalating sensitivity around the film, the filmmakers had decided to suspend publicity efforts as the controversy played out.
The decision to pull the teaser was confirmed in industry reports, which said that officials and production staff are now reviewing their next move as legal battles and public controversy rage on.
Director and Star Respond to Backlash
In view of the widespread criticism, Neeraj Pandey, director of Ghooskhor Pandat, clarified that Pandat was a colloquial term for a fictional character and added the story was not aimed at denigrating any caste or religious community. He stressed that the film is about individual story and character building, not social commentary.
Lead actor Manoj Bajpayee also reacted to the backlash, stating that he respects sentiments of those hurt by the title and his portrayal was meant as a part of a character’s journey and not an observation on any community.
Why the Controversy Sparked
Critics said the fusion of Ghooskhor (meaning “bribe-taker”) and Pandat (“Pandit” in colloquial terms) links a practice as unbecoming as bribery to an entire community. Legal observers say such representations can disturb societal sensibilities and may even contravene norms of respect for religious and caste identities in public media.
So, in response to a directive from the chief minister Yogi Adityanath that urged officials to act promptly and further instruct possessors of disputed properties to repay them or vacate, The authorities swooped down on people in Lucknow.
Now that the FIR has been registered and promotional material brought to a halt, its makers are expected to speak with their legal counsels as well as industry entities and community leaders in order to deal with the controversy. It’s not yet clear whether the film’s release schedule will be impacted, but officials have warned that it may take longer to go through due diligence because of potential legal battles.
This case reflects the continuing tug in Indian entertainment between creative expression and public sensitivities especially when religion and caste are involved.
