"Film industry is targeting Indian culture": UP Dy CM Brajesh Pathak condemns 'Ghooskhor Pandat'

Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India], February 6 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Friday reacted strongly to the controversy surrounding the film "Ghooskhor Pandat", claiming that the entire film industry is targeting Indian culture, particularly the Brahmin community, calling it "reprehensible".
"The way people from the film industry are targeting Indian culture, and especially the Brahmin community, is highly reprehensible. Such films should not be released to the public, and he strongly condemns them," he said, adding that such words should not be used for those who have highly contributed to the nation.
Earlier on Friday, an FIR was lodged at Hazratganj Police Station in Lucknow against Neeraj Pandey and his production team.
According to police officials, the action followed complaints alleging that the title and content of 'Ghooskhor Pandat' hurt religious and caste sentiments and could disturb public harmony.
Station House Officer of Kotwali Hazratganj, Inspector Vikram Singh, took cognisance of the grievances, triggering formal action. Police said there has been widespread anger and resentment among members of the Brahmin community and various social organisations, with some groups warning of aggressive protests.
Meanwhile, protests against the name of the "Ghooskhor Pandat" film have erupted across th country, with Prayagraj people burning effigies of the producer, director, and actors at Subhash Chowk on Friday. During the protest, the demonstrators also demanded a ban on the OTT platform Netflix.
The protesters accused the film of being made with the intention of targeting Hindus and Brahmins, which will not be tolerated at any cost. The protesters made it clear that if the film's name and content are not changed within three days, protests will be held in Prayagraj and across the country.
Meanwhile, in Indore, the Brahmin community protested against Netflix's upcoming movie and burned effigies of the streaming service and Manoj Bajpayee, who stars in the film. They were burned by the Parshuram Sena at Malwa Mill Chowk.
Warning that if their demands are not met, lead actor Manoj Bajpayee and filmmaker Neeraj Pandey would face severe public backlash, a protester said, "We oppose the film; it should be banned, otherwise Manoj Bajpayee and Neeraj Pandey will have their faces blackened. We demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Censor Board ban this film."
Actor Manoj Bajpayee also broke his silence on the controversy surrounding his upcoming web series 'Ghooskhor Pandat', as the project faces mounting legal action and public backlash over its title.
On his official X handle, Bajpayee said he respects the emotions of those who felt hurt and stressed that the series was not intended to target any community.
"When something you are part of causes hurt to some people, it makes you pause and listen," he wrote, adding that his role focused on portraying "a flawed individual and his journey of self-realisation."He underlined that the character-driven cop drama was not meant as a social or community statement.
Bajpayee also expressed confidence in filmmaker Neeraj Pandey, noting the director's "consistent seriousness and care" in storytelling. (ANI)