Big trouble for Manoj Bajpayee’s Ghooskhor Pandat! Yogi Adityanath orders action over title row, trailer deleted

Adityanath has directed the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against the film’s director and team members for allegedly hurting sentiments and disturbing social harmony.

Several complaints were lodged at Hazratganj Police Station over the film’s title, which combines the word Pandat with ghooskhor—a term that translates to “bribe-taker” in English. Complainants alleged the title has hurt the sentiments of the Pandit community.

Amid the controversy, co-director Neeraj Pandey clarified that the film is a fictional cop drama and does not represent or target any caste, religion or community.

“Our film is a fictional cop drama, and the term ‘Pandat’ is used simply as a colloquial name for a fictional character. The story focuses on an individual’s actions and choices and does not comment on or represent any caste, religion, or community,” Pandey said.

He added that the film was made with “sincere intent” and solely to entertain audiences. Acknowledging that the title has hurt some viewers, Pandey expressed regret over the misunderstanding and announced that all promotional material has been temporarily withdrawn.

Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who plays the lead role, also issued a clarification on X, saying he respects the concerns raised.

“When something you are part of causes hurt to some people, it makes you pause and listen,” Bajpayee wrote.

“As an actor, I approach a film through the character and the story. This was about portraying a flawed individual and his journey of self-realisation, not a statement about any community,” he added.