Aryan Khan’s directorial debut The Ba**ds of Bollywood has been making waves on the internet ever since it was released. The show, which is apparently a parody of Bollywood, has hit all the right spots for B-town lovers. However, it seems that the very first episode of the show, where Aryan’s indirect jibe at ex-narcotics officer Sameer Wankhede was shown, has not gone down well with the officer. Wankhede has approached the Delhi High Court against the show and Shah Rukh Khan for defamation. The suit demands a permanent and mandatory injunction, a formal declaration, and compensation for what Wankhede claims is a “false, malicious, and defamatory” depiction in the Netflix series Ba**ds of Bollywood*. Apart from that, the officer has claimed damages amounting to Rs 2 crore, which he aims to donate to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital to support the treatment of cancer patients. As per the petition, the series, which is produced by SRK’s Red Chillies Entertainment, portrayed a negative image of anti-drug enforcement agencies. Adding to his plea, Wankhede, who had a past with Aryan Khan as he investigated the star kid in the cruise case, claims that the series was intentionally created and produced to tarnish his personal and professional reputation. He also mentioned that the legal case which involves him and Aryan is still pending before the Hon’ble Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai. Hence, the portrayal of Wankhede in the series is both prejudicial and irresponsible.
Sameer Wankhede’s Statement
A statement from Wankhede read, “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 produced by Red Chillies and broadcast by Netflix as part of their television series titled The Ba**ds of Bollywood*.” It further added, “This series disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions.”
