The BRICS TimesSameer Wankhede has taken legal action against Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix over the controversial web series “The Ba***ds of Bollywood,” alleging it damaged his image.
The Delhi High Court on Friday raised questions over the maintainability of IRS officer Sameer Wankhede’s defamation petition against Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix. The officer alleged that the streaming giant and the production house defamed him through their series “The Ba***ds of Bollywood.”
Wankhede had approached the court demanding a permanent injunction, declaration, and damages from Red Chillies Entertainment Private Limited, Netflix, and others. He argued that the series carried “false, malicious and defamatory content” and was broadcast on Netflix as part of the show directed by Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav asked Wankhede’s legal team to clarify why the plea should be heard in Delhi and whether the alleged cause of action arose in the national capital.
Responding to this, Wankhede’s lawyer Sandeep Sethi told the court, “It is seen by viewers in Delhi. Insofar as the web series is published for viewing in Delhi, I am defamed.”
The court then directed Wankhede to amend his plea and establish how the cause of action was connected to Delhi jurisdiction.
The former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director has sought Rs 2 crore as damages, which he intends to donate to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital to support cancer patients.
The plea further alleged that the series was designed with a deliberate plan to malign Wankhede’s image in a biased and prejudicial manner. It highlighted that this came at a sensitive time when his case with Aryan Khan is still pending before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.
It also accused the series of portraying a character who makes an obscene gesture, specifically showing the middle finger after chanting “Satyamev Jayate,” a phrase tied to the National Emblem. According to the plea, this amounts to a serious violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which carries criminal consequences.
Additionally, the plea claimed that the series violates provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), arguing that the material aims to outrage national sentiment by using offensive and vulgar content.
