A storm of controversy engulfs Netflix’s ‘Ghooskhoro Pandit’ even before its release. Critics, including BSP supremo Mayawati, decry the title as casteist, accusing it of maligning the Brahmin community by equating ‘Pandit’ with greed and bribes. The former UP CM has escalated demands for the Centre to halt the film outright.
Mayawati’s X post on Friday pulled no punches. She lamented the repeated humiliation of Pandits in media and films, fueling nationwide resentment among Brahmins. ‘Our party strongly condemns this and demands the central government ban this caste-discriminatory film immediately,’ she asserted.
Social media is ablaze with reactions, users slamming the title as provocative and divisive. Filmmakers and Netflix remain silent amid the uproar.
The legal battle kicked off with lawyer Vineet Jindal’s Delhi High Court petition. He claims the title is a calculated insult, tying a term of respect to criminality, which Netflix is aggressively marketing. Such portrayal risks irreparable harm to Brahmin prestige and could spark social discord, including hate speech and riots, per the filing under constitutional provisions.
Jindal seeks an interim injunction to prevent release, arguing it threatens public order. Mayawati’s intervention has politicized the issue further, spotlighting how entertainment choices can ignite caste fault lines in India.
As the debate rages, this case tests boundaries between artistic expression and safeguards against communal provocation, with implications for future OTT content.