Delhi HC to Hear Sameer Wankhede’s Defamation Suit Against Netflix's ‘Ba***ds of Bollywood’ on Nov 10

The Delhi High Court will hear on November 10 a defamation suit filed by an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and former NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede against Netflix and others over his alleged defamatory portrayal in the Netflix series “Ba***ds of Bollywood”, directed by Aryan Khan.

A Bench of Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav has directed all parties involved in the matter to submit their written statements before the next hearing.

During the proceedings, Senior Advocate J. Sai Deepak appeared on behalf of Wankhede, while Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar represented Netflix.

On October 8, the Court had issued summons in Wankhede’s defamation suit against Netflix and others over his alleged defamatory portrayal in the series. While issuing notice on Wankhede’s plea for interim relief, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav had listed the matter for October 30.

The suit names multiple defendants, including Red Chillies Entertainment Private Limited, Netflix, X Corp (formerly Twitter), Google LLC, Meta Platforms, RPG Lifestyle Media Private Limited, and a John Doe.

Earlier, the High Court had rejected Wankhede’s initial defamation suit, observing that the plaint in its earlier form was “not maintainable.” However, the Court had permitted him to file an amended plaint and directed that the matter be relisted after submission of the revised application.

During the last hearing, Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for Wankhede, argued that territorial jurisdiction lies in Delhi and informed the Court that an application to amend the plaint had been filed. Sethi stated, “There are posts on various portals. People, with reference to this series, are trolling my wife and sister.” To this, the Court observed, “It cannot be injuncted in general.”

Sethi urged the Bench to consider the nature of the remarks being made, to which the Court responded, “We accept that there is a cause in your favour, but we have to follow the procedure.”

Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar appeared for Netflix, opposing the suit, while Senior Advocate Shyel Trehan represented Red Chillies Entertainment.

In this plea, Wankhede contended that the show was conceived with the intent of damaging his reputation. The series, which premiered on September 18 on Netflix, marked Aryan Khan’s directorial debut and was produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, the company owned by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan.

Wankhede had filed the suit against both Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix, demanding damages of Rs 2 crore. He had further requested that the compensation, if granted, be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for the benefit of cancer patients.

The plea sought a permanent and mandatory injunction, along with a declaration and damages, against Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, and others associated with the show. Wankhede had alleged that his portrayal in “Ba***ds of Bollywood” was “false, malicious, and defamatory,” arguing that the content produced by Red Chillies and broadcast on Netflix misrepresented him.

According to the suit, “Ba***ds of Bollywood” depicted a distorted and negative image of anti-drug enforcement agencies, which, Wankhede claimed, risked eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions. His plea also raised objections to a particular scene in which a character was shown raising the middle finger immediately after uttering the national slogan “Satyamev Jayate.”

Wankhede asserted that this act constituted a serious violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and was punishable under Indian law. He further claimed that the show had been deliberately designed and executed to damage his reputation in a colourable and prejudicial manner, particularly at a time when proceedings involving him and Aryan Khan remained pending before the Bombay High Court and the Special NDPS Court.

Case Title: Sameer Dnyandev Wankhede v. Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. & Ors.

Bench: Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav.

Hearing Date: 8 October 2025.