New Delhi/Mumbai, Feb 6: Filmmaker Neeraj Pandey and actor Manoj Bajpayee have withdrawn all publicity material for their upcoming project, “Ghooskhor Pandat,” following a significant controversy over its title. The move comes after various social media users and political figures labeled the title as casteist, leading to a formal complaint and police action.
The Uttar Pradesh police registered an FIR against the film’s director at the Hazratganj police station. The action was taken based on directions from the state administration, with charges involving the potential to disturb public peace and hurting religious and caste sentiments.
“We understand that the title has caused hurt to some viewers, and we genuinely acknowledge those feelings,” Neeraj Pandey stated in a social media post. He clarified that the film is a fictional drama and the term was used colloquially for a specific character rather than as a comment on any community.
The central government has also reportedly communicated with the streaming platform to remove promotional content from social media. Various organizations and political leaders had expressed concern that the title promoted negative stereotypes and could lead to social animosity.
Manoj Bajpayee, who portrays a flawed police officer in the crime thriller, emphasized that his role was intended to depict an individual’s journey of self-realization. Both the actor and the producer maintained that they approach their work with a sense of responsibility and have decided to pause the promotional campaign to respect public sentiment.
