Gajab Raat is a decent one-time watch, mainly for Manoj Bajpayee. The first reviews of the Netflix crime thriller, which started streaming on October 23, 2026, are mixed to negative. Critics praise his sly turn as a corrupt Delhi cop and the darkly funny first half, but say the mystery loses steam and the ending is hard to believe. This Gajab Raat review collects what critics are saying and covers the cast, the 123-minute runtime, where to stream it and why the film used to be called Ghooskhor Pandat.
If you only came here to find out where it's streaming, we listed it in our OTT releases roundup featuring Gajab Raat. This page tells you whether it's worth your evening.
Gajab Raat at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Release date | October 23, 2026 |
| Platform | Netflix only (no cinema release) |
| Language / genre | Hindi crime thriller |
| Runtime | 123 minutes |
| Director | Ritesh Shah (his first film as director) |
| Producer | Neeraj Pandey (Friday Filmworks), who co-wrote it with Shah |
| Lead cast | Manoj Bajpayee, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Saqib Saleem, Divya Dutta |
| Trailer release | October 15, 2026 |
| Earlier title | Ghooskhor Pandat (withdrawn in February 2026) |
Gajab Raat review: the verdict in short
Here's the short version. Watch it for Bajpayee and for the tense first hour. Keep your expectations modest for the rest.
- What works: Bajpayee's performance, the dark humour about everyday bribery, and a fast first half with a clock ticking in the background.
- What doesn't: a slow middle, too many characters, cartoonish supporting roles, a twist you can see coming, and a climax several critics found ordinary or hard to believe.
- Best for: Bajpayee fans and anyone who wants a two-hour Hindi thriller to stream on a weeknight.
- Skip if: you're hoping for something as tight as Neeraj Pandey's best films, like A Wednesday or Special 26.
What is Gajab Raat about? (Spoiler-free)
Bajpayee plays Ajay, a corrupt, low-ranking Delhi Police officer who treats every case as a chance to make some money. One night a badly injured young woman is thrown from a speeding car. Nobody knows who she is.
Soon a social worker, a CBI officer and an NIA officer all want access to her. Ajay is the one who decides who gets through. Bribe offers start coming in, witness statements contradict each other, and there are signs of a possible international conspiracy. By the end, Ajay has to choose between the money he has always chased and the duty he has always dodged.
The film is pitched as a one-night thriller. Scroll describes the events as taking place over roughly 24 hours. That tight timeframe is what drives the strong first half.
A note on the character's name: early coverage doesn't agree on Ajay's surname. The Week and Leisurebyte give different versions, so we've stuck with "Ajay" until Netflix's credits confirm it.
Gajab Raat cast and characters
- Manoj Bajpayee as Ajay, the bribe-taking Delhi Police officer at the centre of the story
- Nushrratt Bharuccha
- Saqib Saleem
- Divya Dutta
- Akshay Oberoi
- Kiku Sharda
- Shraddha Das
- Rajiv Gupta and Aditi Sandhya Sharma (listed by Leisurebyte)
Netflix's publicity hasn't clearly matched every actor to a role yet. The plot needs a social worker, a CBI officer and an NIA officer, so expect most of the supporting cast to play people trying to get past Ajay. Leisurebyte singles out Rajiv Gupta's comic banter as one of the film's small pleasures.
Performances: Bajpayee carries the film
Every review we read agrees on one thing: Bajpayee is the main reason to watch. Scroll calls him "marvellously weaselly". He plays Ajay as a man who has made peace with small corruption and is now facing something much bigger than a routine payoff.
The rest of the cast fares less well. Several critics say the supporting characters are sketchy or cartoonish. With this many people fighting for screen time in a two-hour film, few of them get room to develop. The Sunday Guardian's main complaint is that the characters lack depth.
Direction and screenplay
Ritesh Shah is a first-time director, and the film's structure shows both his strengths and his limits. The opening stretch is brisk, and the joke about a cop pricing each favour lands well. After the interval the momentum drops. Leisurebyte describes a slow middle, and Scroll says the film "runs out of steam" just as the conspiracy angle should pay off.
What critics are saying about Gajab Raat
| Outlet | Rating | Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Scroll | No star rating | Fun, darkly comic first half and a "marvellously weaselly" Bajpayee, but the ending is ordinary and hard to believe. |
| Sunday Guardian | 2.5/5 | Bajpayee is the draw, but the mystery isn't gripping and the characters are thin. |
| Leisurebyte | 2 (scale not stated) | "A decent one-time watch." Brisk first half, but an obvious twist, too many characters and less charm than earlier Pandey–Bajpayee films. |
| OTT Release | Positive-leaning | The most forgiving review: Bajpayee makes it worth a watch if your expectations aren't too high. |
There's no aggregate score or IMDb rating yet, because the film only dropped today. Audience ratings usually settle over the first weekend, so the numbers may change.
Is Gajab Raat the same film as Ghooskhor Pandat?
Yes. Gajab Raat is the film first announced as Ghooskhor Pandat. "Ghooskhor" means bribe-taker, and critics argued that the title linked a Brahmin community name with corruption. The row went all the way to the Supreme Court. Here's the timeline:
- February 3, 2026: The teaser is released under the title Ghooskhor Pandat, and criticism of the title begins.
- February 2026: Uttar Pradesh Police register an FIR at Hazratganj police station in Lucknow over hurting religious and caste sentiments. Separately, a writ petition in the Delhi High Court seeks a ban.
- February 6, 2026: All promotional material for the film is withdrawn.
- Supreme Court hearing: A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan hears a PIL filed by Atul Mishra of the Brahman Samaj of India. The court observes that "freedom of speech cannot be used as a licence to denigrate a section of society."
- February 19, 2026: The Supreme Court closes the matter after Neeraj Pandey files an affidavit withdrawing the title. He undertakes that any new title will not be "similar to, or evocative of" the old one. The court also says no fresh criminal cases should be filed over the withdrawn title.
- October 15, 2026: Netflix announces the new title, Gajab Raat, along with the trailer.
- October 23, 2026: The film premieres on Netflix.
The story itself still centres on a bribe-taking cop. The title is what changed. The reviews published so far don't say whether any scenes were altered.
How Gajab Raat compares with Bajpayee's and Pandey's earlier work
Expectations were high because of the people involved. Neeraj Pandey made A Wednesday and Special 26, two of the most admired Hindi thrillers of the past two decades, and Bajpayee has worked with him before, including in Special 26. Leisurebyte specifically says Gajab Raat lacks the charm of those earlier Pandey–Bajpayee collaborations.
- Versus A Wednesday / Special 26: Those films had lean scripts and a satisfying final turn. Gajab Raat has the setup but, critics say, not the payoff.
- Versus Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai: That film relied heavily on Bajpayee carrying a single-minded story. Gajab Raat does too, but it surrounds him with a busier cast.
- Versus The Family Man: If you love Bajpayee mixing comedy and tension as Srikant Tiwari, you'll recognise some of that here, just in a seedier, morally compromised role.
If you're after more crime drama after this one, our explainers on Drishyam 3 Hindi vs Malayalam and Mirzapur: The Movie and Season 4 are good next reads.
Where to watch Gajab Raat
Gajab Raat is streaming only on Netflix, from October 23, 2026. It skipped cinemas entirely, so you'll need an active Netflix subscription. The press coverage we reviewed didn't give an exact drop time, so if it isn't showing yet, search the title in the Netflix app.
Avoid sites offering free downloads of the film. Several piracy pages are already ranking for the title, and they often carry malware and scam ads. Netflix is the only legitimate way to watch it.
Is Gajab Raat suitable for family viewing?
We couldn't find a confirmed certificate or age rating yet. Netflix shows a maturity rating on the title page, so check that first. The story involves a badly injured woman, police corruption, bribery and a conspiracy plot, which makes it better suited to teens and adults than young children.
So, is Gajab Raat worth watching?
It is if you're a Manoj Bajpayee fan and already have Netflix. His performance and the sharp first hour are worth two hours on a quiet evening. It isn't if you want a tightly plotted mystery with a twist you won't see coming. Most critics agree the film promises more than it delivers.
For everything else dropping on streaming platforms this week, see our new OTT releases this week list, or head to the KyunTrend homepage for the latest trending explainers.