Manoj Bajpayee on ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ controversy: 'Don't want unnecessary attention to the film you made with blood and sweat'

Manoj Bajpayee has been constantly in the news lately owing to the controversy surrounding the title of his cop drama, formerly known as ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’, and his much-anticipated upcoming thriller ‘Governor’. During a recent interview, the actor was posed with the question, "How much caution is enough caution?" , to which he replied, "bohot dhyan rakhna."In a conversation with News18, Manoj opened up about how people today seem to be constantly on the lookout for reasons to take offense. He said, "We are living in a time, worldwide I am saying. I mean, look at the US or any other country, we are living in a time when everybody is ready to be offended. It's as if everyone is ready to take offense, like, 'Ajao mujhe offend karo, main subah se baitha hoon; kisi ne 12 baje tak nahi kiya hai, toh kardo, tab main khana khaunga.' (Come on, offend me; I've been sitting since morning and no one has done it yet. Do it by 12 so I can have my meal. )"The actor went on to explain that in a world where people are this sensitive, one simply cannot afford to be careless. He added, "In such times, one has to be conscious because you don't want unnecessary attention to the film which you have made with a lot of blood and sweat. Film mein ek jaane ki mehnat nahi hoti, sab ki mehnat lagi hoti hai. I mean, everybody's life and career is at stake. (A film is not the effort of just one person; it involves everyone's contribution. )"Wrapping up the conversation on a hopeful note, Bajpayee expressed his wish for a more understanding and tolerant world. He said, "Hum us time mein reh rahe hain jahan hume sochna padega. Haan, hum zarur us time ki kalpana karte hain jahan koi offend nahi hoga. (We are living in a time where we have to think carefully. But, we do imagine a time when no one gets offended at all. )"The entire controversy revolved around the film's title ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’, which roughly translates to 'Corrupt Pandit'. Many critics took issue with the use of the word 'Pandat', which is widely associated with a Brahmin surname, arguing that it reinforces harmful stereotypes and could be seen as offensive to a particular community. In the face of mounting criticism, the makers of the film stepped forward to apologise for hurting the sentiments of people and confirmed that the title of the film would be changed.