After protests by Brahmin groups, the filmmaker says Ghooskhor Pandat is a character-driven, fictional cop drama about corruption and redemption, not a comment on caste, religion or community; teaser taken off Netlfix
Neeraj Pandey has finally broken his silence on the escalating controversy surrounding his upcoming Netflix production as writer-producer, Ghooskhor Pandat, starring Manoj Bajpayee in the lead role as a morally compromised Delhi cop nicknamed ‘Pandat.’ In an official statement shared on Instagram on Friday (February 6), Pandey has underlined that the film is a purely fictional cop drama centred on a cop’s actions, choices, and personal redemption as the lead character, a demoted sub-inspector, is mired in corruption and conspiracy.
Pandey 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. As a filmmaker, I approach my work with a deep sense of responsibility — to tell stories that are thoughtful and respectful. This film, like my earlier work, has been created with sincere intent and solely to entertain audiences.”
He went further to acknowledge the hurt felt by some viewers, stating: “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.”
Manoj Bajpayee wrote on X: “I respect the emotions and concerns people have shared, and I taken them seriously. When something you are part of causes hurt to some people, it makes you pause and listen. 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. This was not meant to be a statement about any community.”
He added: “In my experience of working with Neeraj Pandey, there has been a consistent seriousness and care in how he approaches his films. The filmmakers have decided to take down the promotional material, in light of the public sentiment. This reflects the seriousness with which the concerns are being taken.”
Controversy after the teaser launch
This comes just days after the teaser’s launch at Netflix’s Mumbai event on Tuesday (February 3), as part of their 2026 slate announcement. The promo quickly sparked outrage on social media, with users accusing the title of being casteist by linking ‘ghooskhor’ (slang for bribe-taker) to ‘Pandat/Pandit,’ a title tied to Brahmins and traditionally associated with respect, scholarship, and priesthood. Hashtags like #BoycottGhooskhorPandat trended, with calls highlighting perceived double standards in cultural sensitivity. On Friday, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati weighed in on the issue, demanding an immediate ban on the film, saying it portrays the Brahmin community “in a derogatory manner”.
Users flooded platforms like X with demands to rename the film or face boycotts, pointing out perceived hypocrisy: “Why not ‘Ghuskhor Yadav’ or ‘Ghuskhor Muslim’? Change it or we walk,” one viral post read. Hashtags like #BoycottGhuskhorPandit and #ChangeTheTitle trended, amplified by influencers and even some political leaders. The backlash quickly moved offline. Mumbai-based advocate Ashutosh Dubey fired off a legal notice to Netflix India, the production house, director Ritesh Shah, and Pandey, calling the title ‘defamatory’ and an ‘attack on the dignity of a respected community.” He demanded immediate corrective steps, warning of further action if ignored.
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By Thursday, things escalated further: social activist and advocate Vineet Jindal filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court seeking a complete stay on the film’s release (or at the very least, a mandatory title change). The plea described the title and promotional content as ‘communally offensive’ and accused it of collective defamation against the Brahmin community. There were protests by Brahmin organisations in places like Jaipur and Bhopal and even complaints reaching higher political levels, including references to Braj Bhoomi saints raising objections.
Neeraj Pandey and his cop universe
As of early February 6, the teaser appears to have been taken down from Netflix's YouTube channel, Instagram, and X handles. Searches for the official clip lead to dead links or removed posts, with no replacement or statement issued yet. Industry insiders say this is a classic pre-emptive move by the streamer to de-escalate while legal teams assess options, potentially a title change, disclaimer addition, or even edits. Netflix has remained silent publicly, consistent with its low-key handling of India-specific rows in the past (think Tandav or Sacred Games controversies).
For Bajpayee fans and thriller enthusiasts, the film holds a lot of promise. Like his recent OTT series, Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web, directed by Raghav M. Jairath, which, according to reports, has become Number 1 in 10 countries and features in the Top 10 non-English shows across 20 countries, it promises to be another layered cop drama, a genre Pandey has made his forte. Ghooskhor Pandat’s cast — Nushrratt Bharuccha, Saqib Saleem, Akshay Oberoi, Divya Dutta — adds solid heft. Defenders of the film argue it’s character-specific satire, and does not bash any particular community. They compare it to countless Bollywood titles that riff on caste or regional identities without similar fallout.
The trailed for the film, which has no release date as yet, comes at a time when a larger national debate regarding the University Grants Commission (UGC) 2026 equity regulations has made upper caste take up the cudgels. Both issues have been linked by protesters and legal petitioners who argue that the film’s ‘casteist’ title deliberately vilifies Brahmins at a time when the Supreme Court has stayed the new UGC rules for being ‘discriminatory’ against general category students. Organisations like the Shri Bhagwan Parshuram Ji Trust contend that the film's normalisation of a ‘caste slur’ in its title and the UGC’s alleged failure to protect non-reserved students from harassment reflect a ‘bias’ against the community.
A no-nonsense filmmaker-producer
This, however, isn’t the first time a title or teaser has been taken down under pressure. Remember the pre-censorship battles over films like Udta Punjab? Last year, Anant Mahadevan was forced to remove terms like ‘Peshwa’ from Phule, his biopic on social reformers Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule, after Brahmin groups in Maharashtra objected to its portrayal of upper-caste violence. The CBFC also reportedly mandated the removal references to the ‘Manu system of caste’ to soothe these concerns.
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Similarly, in January 2024, Netflix pulled Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food, the Nayanthara-starrer film from its platform following intense backlash. Brahmin and Hindu outfits objected to a scene where a Brahmin woman cooks and eats meat, as well as a dialogue suggesting that Lord Rama consumed meat during exile, leading to a formal apology from Zee Studios. Tandav (2021), theAmazon Prime series faced specific ire for scenes involving a character portraying Lord Shiva. Critics from Brahminical organisations claimed the depiction was disrespectful to Hindu deities, resulting in multiple FIRs and subsequent scene removals.
Pandey, who made his directorial debut with the low-budget but a gem of a film, A Wednesday, starring Naseerudin Shah and Anupam Kher, and who has carved out a niche for writing strong scripts, comes across as a thoughtful, no-nonsense filmmaker and producer, who has many young and upcoming directors under his wing. He has given us well-made thriller series on OTT like Special Ops, which has been turned into a franchise. He has a flair for intelligent thrillers and real-world-inspired stories, and even in the middle of controversies, he tends to handle things calmly and professionally.
With Manoj Bajpayee, he shares a penchant for grounded, high-stakes storytelling that often highlights the inner workings of Indian intelligence and law enforcement. Their collaboration began with the 2013 heist thriller Special 26, in which Bajpayee delivered a standout performance as the CBI officer Ranbir Singh. Pandey cast Bajpayee in the Baby spin-off Naam Shabana (2017) in which he plays the mastermind handler Ranvir Singh, and the 2018 military drama Aiyaary, in which he portrays Colonel Abhay Singh. The duo has explored experimental formats including the dark comedy short film Ouch and the well-known historical documentary series Secrets of Sinauli and Secrets of the Kohinoor, produced by Pandey’s Friday Filmworks, with Bajpayee providing the narration.
At 52, Neeraj Pandey is one of the most reliable names when it comes to content that makes you think while keeping you hooked. The controversy over Ghooskhor Pandat is actually a non-issue; those protesting should know that Neeraj Pandey is among the few in Hindi film industry pushing bold, conversation-starting projects. If you’re into smart, edge-of-the-seat stuff over masala entertainers, his filmography is worth diving into.
