Neeraj Pandey’s upcoming production Ghooskhor Pandat starring Manoj Bajpayee will be renamed, streaming platform Netflix informed the Delhi High Court on Tuesday.

Netflix’s senior counsel stated that the film, currently in the editing stage, is a fictional police drama, and that the title had caused “unintended interruptions” that did not reflect the film’s content.

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

“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,” documented Justice Kaurav in the order.

The court closed the petition, observing that “nothing more was required to be adjudicated”.

Ghooshkhor Pandat is directed by Ritesh Shah, who has co-written the story with Pandey, and is produced under Pandey’s banner, Friday Filmworks.

Featuring Bajpayee in the lead role, the crime thriller follows Ajay Dikshit, also known as Pandat, a corrupt police officer whose plans for a lucrative and eventful night are derailed when he becomes entangled in a global conspiracy unfolding in Delhi.

The film’s announcement on February 3 led to backlash on social media, with many calling the title “casteist” and offensive. The controversy also led to an FIR with Hazratganj police station in Uttar Pradesh, while the NHRC issued a notice to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting following a complaint, as per PTI.

Mahender Chaturvedi, an acharya, claimed that linking “pandat” with corruption and bribery harmed his community’s reputation. The petition argued that creative freedom cannot justify content that insults religious and cultural identity.

However, he sought a stay on the film’s release and asked the central government to take appropriate action against the OTT platform.

“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 plea stated.

In a social media post on February 6, Pandey acknowledged that the film’s title had “hurt” a section of the audience and said all promotional materials would be taken down temporarily.

ASG Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Centre, said the government was informed that all promotional content had been taken down.