3 min readChennaiFeb 12, 2026 02:33 PM IST
Filmmaker Neeraj Pandey’s upcoming film Ghooskhor Pandat, which was set to release on Netflix, landed in legal trouble after its title was criticised for being offensive and communally insensitive. The Supreme Court has now put a stay on the release of the film until the title is changed. A bench led by Justice B V Nagarathna observed that the Court cannot permit any section of society to be denigrated by a title of a film.
The order came after a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed seeking a stay on the release of Neeraj Pandey’s directorial. The plea alleged that the film’s title promotes caste and religion based stereotyping. It further stated that the title hurts the dignity and religious sentiments of a particular community.
As per PTI, A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan also issued notices to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and Neeraj Pandey on the plea filed against the movie. Questioning the intent behind the title, the bench said, “Why should you denigrate a section of society by using such a title? This is against morality and public order. We will not allow you to release the film unless you tell us the changed title.”
As per reports, the next hearing in the matter will be held on February 19, 2026. The Court has also directed the makers to file an affidavit submitting the new title along with details of other changes made in the film.
The Supreme Court’s order comes even as the makers had already agreed to change the title of the film. All promotional material related to Ghooskhor Pandat has also been taken down. Earlier, addressing the backlash surrounding the title, Neeraj Pandey had issued a statement agreeing to change the film’s name.
He wrote, “Our film is a fictional cop drama, and the term ‘Pandat’ is used simply as a colloquial name for a fictional character. The story focuses on an individual’s actions and choices and does not comment on or represent any caste, religion, or community… We understand that the title of the film has caused hurt to some viewers, and we genuinely acknowledge those feelings. In light of these concerns, we have 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. We look forward to sharing the film with audiences soon.”
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Apart from the PIL, an FIR was also registered against the makers of the film at Lucknow’s Hazratganj police station. The FIR alleged that the film associated the term “Pandat” with corruption. Protests were also organised in Bhopal, despite the makers having attempted damage control earlier. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) had also raised strong objections to the film’s title.
