The Supreme Court has directed the makers of Netflix’s upcoming series Ghooskhor Pandat to change its title. On Thursday, a bench headed by Justice BV Nagarathna heard a plea challenging the name of the show and observed that it appears to insult a particular community. The court said such a title cannot be permitted under the Constitution, especially if it hurts sentiments or disturbs social harmony.
During the hearing, Justice Nagarathna stressed that freedom of speech is not absolute and must be exercised with care. “Why should you denigrate anybody. It’s against morality and public order. Being woke is one thing. But creating this kind of unrest when there is already unrest in the country. We thought filmmakers, journalists etc. they are all responsible people and are aware of exceptions and reasonable restrictions of Article 19(1)(a) (Fundamental Right of Speech and Expression),” she said, as quoted by ANI.
She further underlined the importance of fraternity as envisioned by the framers of the Constitution. “No section of society should be denigrated. As long as late 40s the framers of the Constitution were aware of the multitude of races, castes etc. So they introduced concept of fraternity. If you use your freedom to denigrate any section of society, we can’t permit it,” she added. Meanwhile, a writ petition had already been filed in the Delhi High Court objecting to the show’s release, calling its title and promotions defamatory and communally sensitive. Protests were also reported in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with Brahmin groups demanding a ban. An FIR was lodged in Uttar Pradesh, and effigies of the filmmakers and Bajpayee were burned in several places.
Amid the growing controversy, Manoj Bajpayee responded on social media, saying he understands the concerns raised by people. “When something you are part of causes hurt, it makes you pause and listen,” he wrote. He clarified that he chose the project for the character’s journey and not to make any statement about a community. He also mentioned that the makers have taken down the promotional material, keeping public sentiment in mind.
Also Read: Neeraj Pandey Issues Clarification Over Manoj Bajpayee’s Ghooskhor Pandat Title Row
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