On Thursday, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition opposing the film initially named Ghooskhor Pandat after filmmaker Neeraj Pandey assured the court that the contentious title and all related promotional materials had been retracted. A panel of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan accepted an affidavit from Pandey, confirming that the disputed title would not be utilized in any form and that all marketing content featuring the previous name had been eliminated. Following these developments, Justice Nagarathna’s panel concluded the proceedings, stating that no further instructions were necessary. During the session, the filmmakers’ legal representative indicated that the title had already been withdrawn, suggesting that the surrounding controversy should be considered resolved. The Supreme Court noted that with the undertaking accepted, no new legal actions should arise concerning the disputed title. The court deemed the petition resolved, emphasizing that the matter surrounding the film’s title was now closed. The public interest litigation (PIL) presented to the apex court claimed that the film’s title and narrative fostered caste- and religion-based stereotypes, undermining the dignity of the Brahmin community. The petition argued that linking the caste identifier “Pandit” with “ghooskhor” (bribe-taker) fostered harmful stereotypes against a specific community, violating constitutional rights under Articles 14, 19(2), 21, 25, and 51A(e). After receiving a stern warning from the Supreme Court, filmmaker Neeraj Pandey submitted an affidavit confirming the title had been “unequivocally withdrawn” and asserting that the film did not demean any religion or community. Recently, the Supreme Court criticized the filmmakers regarding the title “Ghooskhor Pandat,” stating that freedom of speech does not permit the denigration of any group. The Justice Nagarathna-led panel had previously notified the Centre, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and the filmmaker, indicating that the film’s release would be prohibited unless the title was altered. The court cautioned that such terminology could disrupt social harmony, especially in an already tense societal climate. In a related case, the Delhi High Court also dismissed a similar plea requesting a stay on the film’s release after Netflix confirmed it would change the title and had removed all promotional content with the previous name from social media. A single-judge panel of Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav took note of this statement, concluding that no further orders were necessary in light of the streaming platform’s position.
