The controversy that erupted over the title of upcoming Netflix film Ghooskhor Pandat earlier this week refuses to die down. After being met with backlash on social media, the makers even had an FIR filed against them in Lucknow.
Despite the producer Neeraj Pandey issuing clarification on the title and pulling out all promotional material that carries the title, the makers continue to be at the receiving end of strong criticism. On Friday, protests and demonstrations took place in many cities in central India, where protestors burned effigies of Neeraj Pandey and Manoj Bajpayee, calling for a ban on the film.
In Prayagraj, members of Rashtriya Parshuram Sena burnt effigies of the makers as well, accusing the makers of targeting Brahmins and defaming them. Similar demonstrations took place in Indore too.
Meanwhile, in a written statement, The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) expressed a strong objection towards the film’s title, stating, “It targets a particular community and their traditional means of livelihood in a derogatory and offensive manner. Such titles have the potential to hurt sentiments, create misunderstandings and disrupt social harmony.'”
In addition, the makers have also received a written notice from Film Makers Combine (FMC), who have accused the former of not obtaining mandatory permission for the film’s title.
In his clarification statement on Friday, Neeraj had said, “The term 'Pandat' is used as a colloquial name for a fictional character. The story focuses on an individual's actions and does not comment on or represent any religion, caste or community.”
Besides being the producer for the film, Neeraj Pandey has also co-written the script with director Ritesh Shah. Besides Manoj, Ghooskhor Pandat stars Nushrat Bharuccha, Saqib Saleem, Akshay Oberoi, and Divya Dutta.
