New Delhi: Netflix India on Tuesday informed the Delhi High Court that the Manoj Bajpayee-starrer film ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ will undergo a title change, following objections raised over its name.

The submission was made before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, who was hearing a petition seeking a stay on the film’s release on the grounds that its title was “offensive” and “defamatory”.

Recording the statement, the court noted: “The producer has taken a conscious decision in light of the concern that has arisen to change the title of the film from ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ to an alternate title which more accurately reflects the film's narrative and intent.”

The film is produced by filmmaker Neeraj Pandey.

Senior counsel appearing for Netflix told the court that the project, currently in the editing stage, is a fictional police drama and that the title had caused “unintended interruptions” that were not in line with the film’s content. The court was also informed that all promotional material related to the film had been taken down.

In view of Netflix’s assurance, the court closed the proceedings, observing that “nothing more was required to be adjudicated”.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the Centre, said the government had been informed about the removal of all promotional content.

Netflix’s announcement of the film earlier this month had triggered widespread backlash on social media, with several users describing the title as ‘casteist’ and offensive.

The petition was filed by Mahender Chaturvedi, an acharya by profession, who argued that the “malicious” linkage of the term “pandat” with corruption and bribery amounted to an attack on the dignity and reputation of his community. The plea contended that the title insulted religious and cultural identity and that creative freedom could not be invoked to justify defamatory portrayals.

Chaturvedi had sought a stay on the release and streaming of the film and urged the court to direct the central government to take “appropriate action” against the OTT platform in accordance with the law.

“The impugned title ‘Pandat’ and content amount to collective defamation, as they deliberately associate a well-recognised religious and social designation with corruption and bribery, thereby maligning and lowering the reputation of an entire community in the eyes of the public,” the petition stated.

PTI