Manoj Bajpayee's Ghooskhor Pandat renamed Gajab Raat

Manoj Bajpayee's Netflix thriller, announced earlier this year as Ghooskhor Pandat, has a new name: Gajab Raat. Netflix unveiled the title, the trailer and the premiere date on October 15, 2026, and the film will stream from October 23.

A thriller set over one night

Gajab Raat reunites Bajpayee with filmmaker Neeraj Pandey. According to Netflix's announcement and the PTI report carried by Hindustan Times, Bajpayee plays a police officer caught between personal gain and doing what he believes is right. His choice sets off a chain of events over the course of a single night. The Hindu notes that his character is investigating a murder with several stakeholders.

The film is directed by Ritesh Shah, who makes his directorial debut with it. Shah is known as a writer on films such as Kahaani, Pink, Airlift and Raid. Pandey is on board as producer.

The cast includes Saqib Saleem, Akshay Oberoi, Divya Dutta, Kiku Sharda, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Shraddha Das.

What the makers said

Pandey said in a statement that the tension in the film comes as much from the moral dilemmas its characters face as from the events of the night. He added that reuniting with Bajpayee and introducing Shah as a director were exciting parts of the project.

Bajpayee called his association with Netflix an exciting journey, and said he has always been drawn to characters who are "not easy to define".

Shah said that setting the story over a single night let the team build a sense of urgency and keep raising the stakes.

Why the title changed

Netflix first announced the film in February 2026 as Ghooskhor Pandat. As reported by PTI, the title drew a backlash on social media, with several users, politicians and organisations calling it offensive. The controversy led to FIRs and a notice from the National Human Rights Commission to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. The matter also reached the Supreme Court, where the makers told the court that the title would be changed. Gajab Raat is the new title.

A familiar partnership

Bajpayee and Pandey have previously worked together on Special 26 (2013) and Aiyaary (2018). For Pandey, the film continues his run with Netflix after the Khakee franchise, Sikandar Ka Muqaddar and the recent series Taskaree. Bajpayee's previous Netflix film was Inspector Zende (2025).

The official trailer is streaming on Netflix India's YouTube channel. Gajab Raat premieres on Netflix on October 23.