Netflix thriller Gajab Raat releases after title controversy

Gajab Raat, a Netflix thriller starring Manoj Bajpayee, premiered on October 23 after a months‑long title row. The film follows cop Ajay Nirvit, whose act of compassion for an injured woman pulls him into a high‑level conspiracy that unfolds over a single night. Director Ritesh Shah helms the project and Neeraj Pandey’s Friday Storytellers produces it. The cast also includes Divya Dutta, Saqib Saleem, Shraddha Das, Akshay Oberoi and special appearances by Kiku Sharda and Nushrratt Bharuccha.

Controversy

When Netflix announced its 2026 slate in February, the movie was listed as Ghooskhor Pandat. The title sparked a wave of online backlash, threats, trolling and even court cases, prompting the makers to pull all promotional material and rename the film. Pandey says the controversy never dominated the film’s chatter and that they moved away from that touchpoint, stressing the story is unrelated to the online row. He added that the trailer makes that clear. Bajpayee explains the title issue surfaced while the film was still in post‑production, not at release time, and that his focus remains on the film itself, urging viewers to watch it as intended.

Context

Title disputes can quickly attract public attention in India’s digital space, especially when a word is perceived as offensive. Changing a title is a common way producers address such pressure while keeping the original release plan.