Sameer Wankhede sues Shah Rukh Khan, Netflix over his 'defamatory portrayal' in ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’

Wankhede has sought damages of ₹2 crore, which he has pledged to donate to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer treatment.

He has also sought a permanent and mandatory injunction against the series.

"Sameer Wankhede, IRS Officer, has filed a defamation suit before the Delhi High Court seeking reliefs in the nature of permanent and mandatory injunction, declaration, and damages against Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd, owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, the OTT platform, Netflix and others, having been aggrieved by a false, malicious, and defamatory video," his statement read.

He alleged that the series presents a “misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions.”

What the series shows

The first episode of the Netflix series features a character, said to be modeled on Wankhede, arriving at a Bollywood party searching for celebrities allegedly using drugs.

The sequence, which includes the character making an obscene gesture after reciting “Satyamev Jayate,” has drawn sharp criticism.

Wankhede claimed the gesture constitutes a violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and said the series contravenes provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Calling the show “deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign,” Wankhede argued that the portrayal was particularly prejudicial given that his case involving Aryan Khan is still pending before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.

Background

Wankhede came into the spotlight in October 2021 when he led the NCB’s high-profile raid on a Mumbai cruise ship, which resulted in the arrest of Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, along with others.

Aryan had spent 25 days in jail before being granted bail.

The series, which premiered on Netflix on September 18, has since triggered widespread debate on social media, with viewers drawing parallels between its characters and real-life figures involved in the Aryan Khan case.