'Yadav Ji Ki Love Story' To Release Nationwide As Supreme Court Says Film Title Not Derogatory

In a significant development ahead of its release, the Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking a change in the title of the upcoming film 'Yadav Ji Ki Love Story', ruling that the concerns raised about the name were unfounded. 'Yadav Ji Ki Love Story' will release nationwide on Friday, February 27, 2026.

Supreme Court was told today that the film's title created an offensive stereotype and portrayed the Yadav community in a negative light. The petitioner argued that the name could harm the community's social standing and thus the film should not be released under its existing title.

“We fail to understand how the title of the film reflects the community in bad light. The title of the film does not have any adjective or any word that portrays the Yadav community in bad light. The apprehensions are wholly unfounded”, the Court said today.

However, a bench led by BV Nagarathna rejected the challenge observing that the title did not contain any adjective or expression carrying a negative connotation against the Yadav community.  Justice Nagarathna distinguished the present case from its earlier ruling in the matter concerning movie 'Ghooskhor Pandat,' and pointed out that the word "ghooskhor", meaning corrupt, clearly attached a negative attribute to a community.

The bench clarified that in contrast, the title 'Yadav Ji Ki Love Story' did not attribute any adverse characteristic or stereotype.

The Court further held that none of the reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2) of the Constitution were attracted in this case.  Directed by Ankit Bhadana and produced by Sandeep Tomar, the film stars Pragati Tiwari and Vishal Mohan in lead roles.

Recently, Supreme Court on February 12, had directed the makers of the Netflix film “Ghooskhor Pandat” to change its title, holding that it was denigrative of a particular community and could not be permitted under the constitutional framework governing free speech.

In that case, the bench had underscored that freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a) is subject to reasonable restrictions, particularly when it threatens public order, morality, and fraternity. Observing that filmmakers, journalists, and creators are expected to act responsibly, the court had reminded the respondents that the framers of the Constitution were acutely aware of India’s social diversity. “As early as the late 1940s, the framers recognised the multitude of castes, races, and communities, and therefore introduced the concept of fraternity. If you use your freedom to denigrate any section of society, we can’t permit it,” Justice Nagarathna had said.

In that case, the film’s title and storyline were prima facie alleged to be offensive and derogatory, portraying the Brahmin community in a defamatory manner. The petition specifically took objection to the use of the word “Pandat” a caste and religion identifying title alongside “Ghooskhor”, which denotes bribery and moral corruption. This, the plea argued, created a direct and offensive stereotype against an identifiable religious community.

Later, Filmmaker Neeraj Pandey filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court stating that the controversial title of his upcoming film, earlier titled Ghooskhor Pandat, has been “unequivocally withdrawn” and will not be used in any form. Denying allegations of hurting religious sentiments, Pandey asserted that neither he nor his production house had any “deliberate or malicious intention” to outrage the religious feelings of any community. He maintained that the film does not insult or attempt to insult any religion, caste, or community through its title, visuals, promotional material, or narrative.

Case Title – Awdesh Kumar Yadav vs. Union of India

Bench: Justices Nagarathna and Bhuyan

Hearing Date: February 25, 2026