Manoj Bajpayee's Netflix movie ‘Ghooskhor Pandat' faces backlash for alleged casteist title: ‘Remove this or face….'

Manoj Bajpayee’s upcoming Netflix film Ghooskhor Pandat sparked a wave of reactions online, leaving many unhappy after its teaser unveil on 3 February. Neeraj Pandey-backed cop thriller stars Nushrratt Bharuccha, Divya Dutta, Saqib Saleem, Akshay Oberoi, Shraddha Das and Kiku Sharda in key roles.

Netizens seemed unimpressed with the title of Manoj Bajpayee's film, who essays the role of morally compromised police officer entangled in corruption and conspiracy. It landed in controversy soon after its trailer launch as its title triggered fierce backlash online.

Social media reaction

While many social media users labelled the title casteist, others threatened to boycott the film. Many accused the filmmakers and the platform of targeting a specific community.

Raising demand for a change in the name, a user stated, “The name of this movie is highly objectionable. Can Netflix name a movie as ‘Ghooskhor Dalit’ or ‘Ghooskhor Muslim’? Change it ASAP!”

Another comment read, “Hello @NetflixIndia, normalisation of hatred against Pandits & Brahmins won’t be tolerated. I’ll see you in court.”

A third user stated, “Isn’t your title casteist?”

A fourth user said, “Absolutely shameful, picked a community who is soft target to peddle their bigotry”

A fifth user commented, “Aren't you making a casteist slur through this title! Are you pushing some kind of agenda against Brahmins? Itching for a court case or a boycott.”

Echoing similar sentiments, a user remarked, “Hello @NetflixIndia, you have given the name Ghooskhor Pandit. Do you have the guts to put ‘Ghooskhor Muslim’ in any of your web series? Remove this title or be ready to face a mass boycott of Netflix.”

A seventh user stated, “They could have named this show anything, but they specifically chose this to set a narrative. How is this okay? Maybe we should start boycotting them to teach them a lesson.” As of now, Netflix and the Ghooskhor Pandat team have not issued any official response to the backlash.

More about Ghooskhor Pandat

Directed by Ritesh Shah, the film follows the story of a corrupt cop Ajay Dikshit (nicknamed Pandat), who plans to make quick money. His plans end in jeopardy after he becomes entangled in a global conspiracy. Set in Delhi, the narrative follows Pandat's attempts to uncover the identity of a critically injured young woman.