New Delhi, February 10 Netflix India informed the Delhi High Court on Tuesday that the Manoj Bajpayee-starrer film, 'Ghooskhor Pandat', will be renamed.
This statement was made before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, who was dealing with a petition seeking a stay on the release of the film due to its "offensive" and "defamatory" title.
"The producer has made a conscious decision, in light of the concerns that have arisen, to change the title of the film from 'Ghooskhor Pandat' to an alternative title that more accurately reflects the film's narrative and intent," Justice Kaurav recorded.
Netflix's senior counsel further stated that the film, which is in the editing stage, is a fictional police drama, and the title led to "unintended interruptions" that were inconsistent with the film's content.
The court was informed that all promotional material has also been taken down.
In light of Netflix's position, the court closed the proceedings on the petition, observing that "nothing further needed to be adjudicated".
Netflix's announcement of the film, directed by filmmaker Neeraj Pandey, earlier this month sparked a storm on social media, with many users terming the title "casteist" and offensive.
Petitioner Mahender Chaturvedi, an acharya by profession, claimed that the "malicious" association of "pandat" with corruption and bribery was an attack on the reputation and dignity of his community.
The petition argued that the title insulted religious and cultural identity, and that creative liberty could not be used as a shield to propagate defamatory narratives.
