Manoj Bajpayee Addresses Title Controversy Behind Netflix Thriller's Name Change to Gajab Raat

Actor Manoj Bajpayee has spoken out about the title controversy that forced his upcoming Netflix thriller to be renamed from Ghooskhor Pandat to Gajab Raat. He stated that the objections came from people who had neither seen the film nor its trailer, and were reacting entirely to a title they found offensive. The film premieres on Netflix on Friday after months of legal and public battles.

Background

The controversy started in February 2026 when Netflix revealed the first teaser at an event in Mumbai, and the title drew immediate backlash from groups objecting that it associated a community term with corruption. Bajpayee explained that the word Pandat was a fictional nickname for his character, a Delhi Police officer named Ajay Dixit, rather than a reference to a caste. The backlash led to an FIR ordered by the Uttar Pradesh government, a Delhi High Court order to take down promotional material, and a Supreme Court directive after an affidavit was filed by Neeraj Pandey undertaking to withdraw the title.

Context

Title controversies and legal challenges surrounding films often highlight the tension between creative expression and public sentiments regarding community identifiers. OTT platforms and filmmakers frequently navigate these disputes through title changes and legal resolutions to secure clearances for their releases.