Male actors who don’t just dance to the beat, but bring style, energy and personality to every move on screen.

Netflix’s newly announced film Ghooskhor Pandat has found itself at the centre of controversy just days after its unveiling. A writ petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court, seeking a stay on the film’s release. The plea argues that the title is defamatory and offensive to the Brahmin community, alleging it links a respected identity with corruption.

The petition has been moved by Mahender Chaturvedi through Advocate Vineet Jindal, requesting a writ of mandamus to restrain the film from streaming. The film stars Manoj Bajpayee as a corrupt police officer nicknamed Pandat. It was officially announced by Netflix India during its next on Netflix 2026 event in Mumbai, after which the first-look teaser was released across social media and YouTube.

Chaturvedi, who describes himself as an Acharya dedicated to the study and teaching of Indian scriptures, has said he is personally aggrieved by the film’s title. According to the plea, associating the term ‘Pandat’ with ghooskhori or bribery damages the dignity and reputation of the Brahmin community. The petition stresses that the term historically represents scholarship, moral values, and spiritual leadership, and claims the title and teaser violate Articles 14, 21 and 25 of the Constitution by discriminating against a religious group and undermining cultural and religious identity. It also alleges that the Government of India has failed to put in place an effective regulatory framework to check misuse of creative freedom on OTT platforms.

The controversy has spilled over onto social media, where several users have criticised the title and threatened to boycott Netflix unless it is changed. Netflix India has not issued any statement so far. Meanwhile, the film’s official logline reads: “A bent police officer, Ajay Dikshit’s (Pandat), plans of an eventful and money-making night are disrupted as he finds himself in the midst of a global conspiracy while trying to unravel the identity of a badly injured girl thrown out of a moving car in the heart of Delhi.”

Also Read: Birthday Special: Manoj Bajpayee’s Upcoming Projects

After recently wrapping up director Harish Shankar’s film Ustaad Bhagat Singh, Pawan Kalyan has not taken up any new movie. Instead, the actor-politician has decided to revive an old project. A film under director Surender Reddy was announced before the 2024 AP Assembly elections, but the project never took off. As the buzz around the film fizzled out, many believed that it had been put on ice.

Pawan preps up

After becoming the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, many felt that Pawan might not return to film sets, given his political responsibilities. However, he wrapped up the shooting of all his pending films Hari Hara Veera Mallu, They Call Him OG, and Ustaad Bhagat Singh, all of which he had taken up before the elections. Many commented that Pawan completed these films to give respite to, and bail out, the filmmakers. Not stopping there, much to everyone’s surprise, Pawan Kalyan recently announced Surender Reddy’s film. He expressed happiness about being part of the project, which is being bankrolled by Ram Talluri. The pre-production is currently in full swing, and Pawan is also preparing for the role. If all goes well, the film will be launched next month during the Ugadi festival.

Pawan does a balancing act

During the promotions of OG and Hari Hara Veera Mallu, Pawan stated that he would continue to do films as he earns his livelihood from them. At the time, many did not take his statement seriously. However, with the actor slowly lining up new projects, it has become clear that Pawan intends to balance films and politics. When not attending to ministerial duties, he works on his films, operating with limited and sporadic time for shoots while prioritising governance. While his passion lies in politics, he continues to act for financial security. Although he has previously expressed a desire to focus entirely on politics, Pawan has indicated that he will continue acting if the projects are worthwhile and if time permits.

Also Read: Ranveer Singh Vs Pawan Kalyan Box Office Clash! Game on