Effigies burnt, ban demands grow as filmmakers face FIR over alleged offence to Brahmin community
February 7, 2026: The controversy around filmmaker Neeraj Pandey’s upcoming project Ghooskhor Pandat has spilled from social media into the streets, with protests erupting in several cities. Demonstrators accused the makers of using an offensive title that allegedly targets the Brahmin community, leading to effigies of producer Neeraj Pandey and actor Manoj Bajpayee being burnt in public. The agitation has intensified demands for a ban on both the film and its streaming platform, Netflix.
In Prayagraj, protesters gathered at Subhash Chowk and burnt effigies of Pandey, director Ritesh Shah and the film’s cast, alleging the title insulted Hindu priests by linking the word ‘ghooskhor’ with ‘Pandat’. Similar protests were reported in Indore, where members of the Parshuram Sena burnt effigies of Netflix and Bajpayee, warning of stronger action if the film is not banned. Protesters also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the censor authorities to intervene.
Ghooskhor Pandat, a thriller featuring Manoj Bajpayee as a corrupt police officer nicknamed ‘Pandat’, has drawn sharp reactions since its announcement. Neeraj Pandey has denied targeting any community and said the film was never meant to hurt religious or caste sentiments, announcing the withdrawal of all promotional material to defuse tensions. Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against the makers in Lucknow for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, adding a political and legal dimension to the controversy ahead of the film’s planned Netflix release.