Actor Manoj Bajpayee has strongly condemned the severe online backlash and personal threats directed at his family following the controversy over his upcoming Netflix film, originally titled Ghooskhor Pandat.
Speaking in an interview with NDTV’s Padmaja Joshi, the veteran actor expressed profound disappointment over the internet’s inability to separate an actor’s professional work from their personal life. Bajpayee revealed that the toxic discourse quickly crossed boundaries, with trolls targeting his wife and teenage daughter.
Clarifying the Character and Context
Addressing the initial outrage surrounding the film’s title—which some groups claimed hurt religious sentiments and promoted community stereotyping—Bajpayee clarified that actors are rarely involved in naming a project. He explained that the title was never a commentary on a specific community.
“When we are talking about Pandit or Ghooskhor, we are not talking about all people. We are talking about this character. In this film… he is not a Pandit. He is Pandat. He is very popular by that nickname, which the police department has given him. He is a Delhi Police officer.”
Toxic Trolling and Death Threats
While the film’s creative team acted swiftly to address public reservations, Bajpayee called out the “pathetic” behavior of internet trolls who resorted to extreme hostility.
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Abuse of Family Members: Trolls actively targeted Bajpayee’s wife and his 15-year-old daughter on social media platforms.
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Extreme Threats: The actor received numerous death threats purely over the title of a fictional project.
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The Toll of Volatility: Bajpayee admitted it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish constructive, genuine criticism from organized bots and malicious trolling.
“Tell me, how is it right to send me death threats? How is it right to drag my family into the whole picture and use all kinds of obscene language? What is my family’s fault? … How far is it right that you are sending death threats to me, who is part of it as an actor? Death threats? For the name? I mean, just for the name.”
Timeline of the Controversy
The dispute moved quickly from social media outrage to official legal channels before being amicably resolved:
| Date | Event |
| Early February 2026 | The first-look teaser is unveiled at Netflix’s 2026 slate showcase, drawing immediate backlash from political and religious groups. An FIR is subsequently filed. |
| Mid-February 2026 | The makers issue a public apology and inform the Delhi High Court that they will change the film’s title. The original teaser is taken down. |
| June 2026 | Manoj Bajpayee addresses the personal toll of the controversy while promoting his upcoming theatrical release, Governor. |
The upcoming project, which marks the directorial debut of writer Ritesh Shah and is penned alongside Neeraj Pandey, also stars Nushrratt Bharuccha, Saqib Saleem, Akshay Oberoi, and Divya Dutta. It will be released under a brand-new title on Netflix.
