The makers of the upcoming Hindi film Ghooskhor Pandat have withdrawn promotional material after politicians across party lines slammed the title as offensive to Brahmins.
Director Neeraj Pandey and lead actor Manoj Bajpayee — both incidentally Brahmins — were compelled to issue social media statements after Lucknow police filed an FIR and the National Human Rights Commission sent a notice to the I&B ministry.
The Netflix film focuses on a ghooskhor or corrupt police officer nicknamed “Pandat” — a respectful term used for Brahmins in parts of the country — played by Bajpayee.
“When something you are part of causes hurt to some people, it makes you pause and listen,” the actor posted on X.
“….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.”
The controversy erupted after Netflix announced its slate of programmes for this year. It has released the film’s trailer as well.
Pandey posted on Instagram: “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….”
While the FIR was filed reportedly at the behest of BJP chief minister Adityanath, BSP chief Mayawati too condemned “such a caste-indicating film” and asked the Centre to ban it.
She regretted that “Pandat is being portrayed as a bribe-taker and so on, leading to insult and disrespect for them across the country, which has currently spread intense anger throughout the Brahmin community”.
Mayawati, whose party projects itself as a defender of Dalit interests, had recently welcomed the Supreme Court’s stay on the UGC’s new equity guidelines that have angered the upper castes.
The Congress too waded in, glad at the opportunity to flag how Brahmins were being insulted under BJP rule.
Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai referred to the state BJP government’s recent confrontation with Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and told reporters: “It (the film) is an insult to the Brahmin community and also Sanatanis. This is the government that insulted Shankaracharya. So, certainly, they are insulting the Brahmin community.”
The Central Board of Film Certification has since 2017 ordered the deletion of 550 hours of footage from the films it has certified. Films on OTT platforms do not require the CBFC’s nod, but in recent years have still faced legal hurdles.
A petition moved against the film before Delhi High Court by an advocate, Vineet Jindal, seeks to make the Centre a respondent and demands that it regulate digital platforms to protect communal harmony.
The Centre blocked several digital platforms last July for allegedly showing obscene content. Hearing a PIL against several platforms including Netflix, Prime Video, X, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram last year, the Supreme Court had said that action against OTTs was not in its domain.
