Manoj Bajpayee starrer Ghooskhor Pandat's title to be changed, makers to Delhi HC

The FIR against Neeraj Pandaey has been registered at Lucknow’s Hazratganj police station.

• Makers of Ghooskhor Pandat movie will change its title after controversy
• FWICE objected to the original title, citing risk to social harmony
• Manoj Bajpayee stars as a corrupt cop in the upcoming Netflix crime thriller

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The makers of Manoj Bajpayee starrer movie Ghooskhor Pandat have decided to change the name, which was going to premiere on Netflix.

The move comes days after an FIR was filed against the film's title which was announced earlier this month.

Makers of Ghooskhor Pandat have informed the Delhi High Court that they have taken a conscious decision to change the name of their film.

FWICE warns of strict action

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has strongly raised objection to the title of filmmaker Neeraj Pandey’s upcoming production “Ghooskhor Pandat”, saying it might disrupt the social harmony and unity in society.

The film, which is produced by Neeraj Pandey and features Manoj Bajpayee as a corrupt cop, was announced earlier this week and sparked a controversy on Friday over its title with politicians and social media users calling it casteist.

“FWICE and all its affiliated associations strongly object to the use of this title, as it appears to single out and target a particular community and its traditional means of livelihood in a derogatory and offensive manner," the FWICE, which represents 36 affiliated associations and scores of members comprising workers, technicians, and artists of the media and entertainment industry, said in a letter to Netflix and other OTT platforms like Amazon Prime, Hotstar, ZEE5, and SonyLIV.

The letter has also been sent to industry organisations like Producers Guild of India (PGI), Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA), and Indian Film and Television Producers Council (IFTPC).

"Such a title has the potential to hurt sentiments, provoke misunderstanding, and disturb social harmony. FWICE believes that there should be no division in society on the grounds of caste, creed, religion, or profession and deserves respect,” the letter read.

Featuring Manoj Bajpayee in the title role, the crime thriller follows Ajay Dikshit, also known as Pandat, a corrupt police officer whose plans for a lucrative and eventful night are disrupted when he finds himself caught in the middle of a global conspiracy unfolding in the heart of Delhi.

The film is directed by Ritesh Shah, who has also penned the story with Pandey. It is produced by Pandey through his banner Friday Filmworks.

The FWICE emphasised on the “social responsibility” of the film industry and said it must ensure that the content or title do not promote “hatred” or cause “unrest” among people.

“We therefore appeal to all producer bodies to refrain from allowing the registration or continuation of film titles that are provocative in nature and capable of creating unrest among Indians. (With PTI Inputs)