The Supreme Court on Thursday disposed of a petition challenging the Netflix film Ghoskhor Pandat after its director, Neeraj Pandey, assured the Court that he would change the title.
Pandey filed an affidavit stating that he would not retain the existing title. He informed the Court that he has not yet finalised a new name.
The petition alleged that the original title was derogatory toward the Brahmin community.
A Bench comprising Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan took the affidavit on record and closed the proceedings. The Bench also urged all parties to bring the controversy to an end.
At an earlier hearing, the Court had questioned why any section of society should face denigration. The Bench asked the director to clarify his stand on renaming the film.
The film stars Manoj Bajpayee and is slated to stream on Netflix. The title and promotional material drew criticism soon after their release.
The controversy first reached the Delhi High Court earlier this month. A writ petition challenged both the title and the film’s content. The petitioner argued that the title amounted to collective defamation, stereotyping, and vilification of an entire religious and social community. He further contended that it would cause irreparable harm to the dignity and reputation of Acharyas and members of the Brahmin community.
The Delhi High Court disposed of the writ petition after recording the producers’ decision to adopt an alternate title that more accurately reflects the film’s narrative and intent.
The proceedings before the Supreme Court arose in Atul Mishra v. Union of India.
