The Supreme Court criticized the upcoming Netflix film “Ghooskhor Pandat” for its derogatory title, emphasizing that freedom of speech should not be misused to degrade any community. Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan issued notices to the Centre, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and filmmaker Neeraj Pandey following a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a halt to the film’s release. The Court expressed concern that such a title could disrupt social harmony and insisted on a title change before allowing the film’s release.
The Bench highlighted that using names like this could potentially incite unrest in the country, especially amidst existing societal tensions. It stressed that such titles have the potential to create disturbances, particularly when social divisions are already prevalent. The PIL alleged that the film’s title and storyline perpetuate caste- and religion-based stereotypes, causing offense to the Brahmin community. The plea sought to prevent the film’s release in its current form, citing violations of various articles of the Constitution.
In response to the allegations, the filmmaker’s counsel informed the Court that the film’s trailer had been removed from social media, and efforts were underway to change the title. The Supreme Court instructed the producer to submit an affidavit detailing the actions taken, including the proposed title alteration. Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court disposed of a similar plea after Netflix assured that the title would be changed and all promotional content with the original name had been removed from social media platforms.
