Hindi film “Ghooskhor Pandat” sparked a row on Friday over its title with leaders and social media users calling it casteist, prompting filmmaker Neeraj Pandey and lead star Manoj Bajpayee to issue a clarification, saying the intention was not to cause hurt and they were withdrawing all publicity material related to the movie.The film, which portrays Bajpayee as a corrupt cop, was announced on Tuesday during a Netflix event in Mumbai.After the film’s teaser was unveiled, the title triggered an outrage on social media with many users saying it portrays a particular community in bad light.Citing concerns over offensive and disrespectful material, the BJP said in a post on X that the government had directed the OTT platform to take down the promotional content for the film.BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, in a post on X, congratulated the Centre for its “swift and effective decision” of asking Netflix to remove the promotional content, including the teaser.“…an FIR has also been registered in this matter. This is a clear message that disrespect towards Sanatan Dharma will no longer be tolerated. We are committed to taking the strictest possible action against those who demean any caste or community for commercial gain…,” Bhatia said.Filmmaker Pandey confirmed that all promotional material had been pulled down from the OTT platform. He called his film a “fictional cop drama” and the term “Pandat a colloquial name for a fictional character”.After the backlash, Pandey said, “We understand that the title of the film has caused hurt to some viewers, and we genuinely acknowledge those feelings. In light of these concerns, we have decided to take down all promotional material for the time being, as we believe the film should be experienced in its entirety and understood in the proper context, rather than judged on partial glimpses.”Reacting to the decision, actor Bajpayee, in a post on X, said, “I respect the emotions and concerns people have shared, and I take them seriously. When something you are part of causes hurt to some people, it makes you pause and listen”.Bajpayee said in “light of the public sentiment”, the filmmakers had decided to take down the promotional material.BSP chief Mayawati took to X and said it was a matter of concern that in recent times, not only in UP, even in films, “Pandat” was being portrayed as a bribe-taker. “This has spread intense anger throughout a community. Our party condemns this. The Centre should impose a ban on such films,” she said.