Santy Sharma Reacts to ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ Controversy, Calls It an Attack on Community Sentiments

Bollywood rapper and singer Santy Sharma has strongly criticised the makers of Manoj Bajpayee’s upcoming Netflix film Ghooskhor Pandat over its controversial title. Santy stated that he belongs to the Brahmin community by birth and considers himself a “Pandit by karma,” and therefore finds the use of caste-related terms in a negative context highly offensive. According to him, the combination of the word “Ghooskhor” (corrupt) with “Pandat” deliberately targets and insults Brahmins and Pandits, even though the makers could have chosen a neutral title.

Expressing further concern, Santy Sharma claimed that the film’s title was allegedly not even registered before its promotional content was released on OTT platforms. He said this reflects negligence and a lack of sensitivity on the part of the makers. Santy also remarked that in today’s “New India,” targeting specific communities has unfortunately become a growing trend, and such practices may lead to deeper social divisions if not addressed in time.

Shortly after the release of the Ghooskhor Pandat teaser at a Netflix event in Mumbai, a dispute arose. A lawyer sent a cease and desist letter regarding the title, claiming it disrespected the Pandit community. Subsequently, a first information report was filed against the filmmakers by Hazratganj police station in Lucknow at the direction of the Uttar Pradesh government. Later, central level officials instructed Netflix to remove all promotional materials, which they did immediately.

In response to the negative reaction, filmmaker Neeraj Pandey stated that Ghooskhor Pandat is a fictional cop drama and that “Pandat” is a character’s nickname and he did not intend to hurt anyone’s feelings. Mr. Pandey has also put a temporary hold on all promotional work for Ghooskhor Pandat. The film stars Manoj Bajpayee as corrupt police officer Ajay Dixit, and also features Nusrat Bharucha and Saqib Saleem in major supporting roles. Ghooskhor Pandat is still undergoing both a public relations process and a legal process due to its release date.