New Delhi, Feb 19 (NationPress) Filmmaker Neeraj Pandey has submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court declaring that the previously controversial title of his upcoming film, now abandoned, was ‘Ghooskhor Pandit’. He assures that the film does not intend to insult or target any particular religion or community.

Refuting claims of offending religious sentiments, the producer stated: “I affirm without reservation that neither my Production House nor I had any intention of disrespecting the religious feelings of any group of citizens in India.”

He emphasized that the film “does not insult or seek to insult any religion, community, or the religious beliefs of any class of citizens of India, whether through words, visual representation, title, promotional content, electronic means, or otherwise.”

In response to the objections raised following the teaser release on February 3, the affidavit noted that the promotional content was removed shortly thereafter.

“Considering the public feedback received… the promotional materials related to the film were withdrawn on 6 February 2026,” it stated, clarifying that there was never any intention to demean any religion, caste, or community.

The producer informed the apex court that the title in question would not be utilized again. “I respectfully declare that the former title, ‘Ghooskhor Pandit’, is formally withdrawn and shall not be employed in any manner,” the affidavit stated.

It also mentioned that any new title to be determined “will not be similar to, or reminiscent of, the earlier title” and would accurately represent the narrative without causing unintended interpretations.

The affidavit clarified that the film is “a fictional police drama centered around a criminal investigation” and “does not portray any caste, religion, community, or sect as corrupt.”

The producer also noted that a similar writ petition addressing these concerns had previously been submitted to the Delhi High Court. The court disposed of the petition on February 10, after recording the agreement to change the title, indicating that there were no further issues to adjudicate.

Pandey requested that the Supreme Court petition be resolved in a similar manner.

This affidavit follows the Supreme Court's remarks on February 12, criticizing the filmmakers regarding the title 'Ghooskhor Pandit', stating that freedom of speech and expression cannot serve as a justification for disparaging a segment of society.

A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan had issued notices to the Centre, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and the filmmaker, suggesting that the film would not be authorized for release without a title change.

“Freedom of speech and expression does not allow you to depict a community negatively,” the apex court warned, highlighting that such terminology could disrupt social harmony in a time of existing societal tensions.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Supreme Court claimed that the film’s title and storyline encourage caste- and religion-based stereotyping, undermining the dignity and religious sentiments of the Brahmin community.

The petition argued that equating the caste identifier “Pandit” with “ghooskhor” (bribe-taker) fosters a defamatory stereotype against a specific community and violates Articles 14, 19(2), 21, 25, and 51A(e) of the Constitution.

The plea, submitted by Atul Mishra, National Organisation Secretary of the Brahman Samaj of India, through advocate Dr. Vinod Kumar Tewari, seeks a directive to prohibit the release or screening of the film in its current form.

During the previous hearing, counsel for filmmaker Pandey stated that the trailer had been removed from social media platforms and that the film’s title was changing. The Supreme Court then instructed the producer to file an affidavit detailing the actions taken, including the proposed title change.