Neeraj Pandey and Manoj Bajpayee’s Ghooskhor Pandat has landed in legal controversy. An FIR has been filed at the Hazratganj Police Station in Lucknow against the producers over allegations that the title insults caste identity and threatens social identity.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered strict legal action against Netflix and the makers of the show, following which the FIR was registered.
Amid this, director Neeraj Pandey has issued an official statement and pulled down all promotional assets. He said, “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.”
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He continued, “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. 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. I look forward to sharing the film with audiences soon.”
Meanwhile, a writ petition was also filed in the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the film’s release. The plea alleged that the title is defamatory and offensive to the Brahmin community, alleging it links a respected identity with corruption.
The petition was moved by Mahender Chaturvedi through Advocate Vineet Jindal, requesting a writ of mandamus to restrain the film from streaming. The film stars Manoj Bajpayee as a corrupt police officer nicknamed Pandat. It was officially announced by Netflix India during its Next on Netflix 2026 event in Mumbai.
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