'I Respect Emotions...': Manoj Bajpayee Says Ghooskhor Pandat Is 'Not About Community' Amid Title Row After FIR Against Neeraj Pandey

The recently announced Netflix show Ghooskhor Pandat, starring actor Manoj Bajpayee, sparked controversy over its title, leading to an FIR against director Neeraj Pandey and the makers in Lucknow for allegedly attempting to disrupt social harmony and hurt religious or caste sentiments. Police said the title appears deliberately framed to target and insult a particular community, specifically the Brahmin community, by associating the term 'Pandat' with corruption.

Manoj Bajpayee Says Ghooskhor Pandat Is 'Not About Community'

Neeraj Pandey clarified that 'Pandat' is merely a colloquial name for a fictional character. Manoj Bajpayee also issued a statement, saying the show is 'not about a community.' Sharing Neeraj's clarification on his X handle (formerly Twitter), he added that he respects the emotions and concerns expressed by people and is taking them seriously.

'This Was About Potraying A Flawed Individual'

"When something you are part of causes hurt to some people, it makes you pause and listen. As an actor, I come to a film through the character and the story I am playing. 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," said the actor.

Further, Bajpayee added that, in his experience of working with Neeraj, there has always been consistent seriousness and care in the way he approaches his films. He stated that the filmmakers have decided to take down the promotional material in light of public sentiment, reflecting the seriousness with which these concerns are being addressed.

Ghooskhor Pandat Story

Set in Delhi, the film revolves around a corrupt police officer, Ajay Dikshit, popularly known as Pandat, whose quest to make easy money spirals out of control after he gets caught up in a far-reaching conspiracy.