The upcoming film Ghooskhor Pandat, starring Manoj Bajpayee, has landed in controversy even before its release, with strong objections raised over its title. While the teaser recently generated attention, the film’s name quickly became the center of legal challenges and public criticism, intensifying the debate around creative freedom and community sensitivity.

Ghooskhor Pandat lands in legal trouble

Mumbai based advocate Ashutosh Dubey has sent a legal notice to Netflix and the film’s makers, demanding that the title be withdrawn immediately. In the notice, he described the title as “defamatory, community vilifying, unconstitutional, and socially incendiary.” He argued that pairing a term associated with bribery with the word “Pandit,” which he said is “deeply rooted in Indian civilisation” and traditionally represents scholarship, spiritual authority, ethical conduct, and social respect, unfairly links “criminality and moral depravity” to a respected community identity. The notice further states that such usage is “per se offensive” and “objectionable,” adding that corruption is “an individual moral failing and should not be projected as a community trait.”