FIR against film ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ for allegedly hurting public sentiments

The Uttar Pradesh Police has filed a first information report against the makers of the film Ghooskhor Pandat for allegedly hurting public sentiments and disturbing social harmony, India Today reported on Friday.

The row erupted after streaming platform Netflix on Tuesday released its slate of films and series for 2026. A teaser for Ghooskhor Pandat, directed by Neeraj Panday and Ritesh Shah, was also released.

The film, starring Manoj Bajpayee, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Shraddha Das, was criticised by some groups for its title that allegedly vilified the Brahmin community.

The use of the word “pandat”, associated with the Brahmin community and also meaning a priest, with “ghooskhor”, a term for someone who accepts bribes, sparked the uproar.

The FIR was filed in Lucknow based on complaints claiming that the film’s title and its contents hurt religious and caste sentiments, and could disturb public harmony, ANI quoted unidentified police officers as saying on Friday.

The officers said that there had been widespread anger in the Brahmin community and several social organisations, with some groups threatening to protest against the film. A policy of zero-tolerance would be followed against any attempt to hurt community sentiments and disturb public peace, the news agency quoted officers as having said.

A petition was also filed in the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the film, ANI reported. The petition...

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