A public interest litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court to halt the release of the movie “Ghooskhor Pandat,” claiming it promotes caste- and religion-based stereotypes, causing offense to the Brahmin community. The petition argues that the film’s portrayal equates the term “Pandit” with bribery, leading to defamatory stereotypes against a specific community.
The petitioner, Atul Mishra of the Brahman Samaj of India, has named the Union of India, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and filmmaker Neeraj Pandey as respondents. The plea asserts that while criticizing corruption is acceptable, linking a caste-based religious identifier to bribery is unjustified and violates constitutional provisions safeguarding dignity, religious freedoms, and equality.
Freedom of speech, subject to reasonable restrictions, is highlighted in the plea, which argues that the film infringes on various constitutional articles. The petition also criticizes the CBFC for allegedly overlooking the potential communal tensions the film may provoke and failing to prevent contempt or ridicule of communities under the guise of satire.
The litigation warns that the film’s public exhibition has already caused distress within the Brahmin community, potentially threatening public order and religious harmony. It requests a court order to halt the film’s release in its current form and ensure the protection of constitutional values and community dignity.
