Manoj Bajpayee and Neeraj Pandey’s film, previously announced as Ghooskhor Pandashas been retitled Awesome Night and will premiere on Netflix on October 23.
The title change was not just a creative decision, it came after significant backlash.
When the original title was announced in February, it triggered a wave of criticism on social media, with several users, politicians and organisations calling it casteist and offensive.
Related: ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ pulled from Netflix after FIR and backlash
FIRs were registered, the National Human Rights Commission issued a notice to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, and the matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, where the makers confirmed the title would be changed.
Awesome Night is a crime thriller directed by Ritesh Shah, known for writing Kahaani, Pink, Airlift and Raid, and produced by Pandey’s Friday Storytellers.
The film follows a police officer caught between personal gain and doing what is right, with one decision setting off a chain of events over a single night.
The film marks Bajpayee and Pandey’s reunion after nearly a decade. “My association with Netflix has been an exciting journey, and ‘Gajab Raat’ is another project I’m delighted to be a part of,” Bajpayee said.
Pandey added that reuniting with Bajpayee and introducing Ritesh Shah as a director were exciting aspects of the project.
Shah, making his directorial debut, said the one-night format allowed him to build urgency and keep raising the stakes throughout.
The cast also includes Saqib Saleem, Shraddha Das, Akshay Oberoi, Divya Dutta, Kiku Sharda and Nushratt Bharuccha.