The Delhi High Court has given IRS officer Sameer Wankhede, Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, and streaming giant Netflix more time to present their written arguments in a defamation lawsuit. This case revolves around the series, The Bastards of Bollywood.
Wankhede initiated the defamation proceedings, accusing Red Chillies and Netflix of damaging his public image through the series. He is seeking ₹2 crore in damages, requesting that the sum be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital to support cancer patients.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav has requested all involved parties to submit their written arguments, setting the next hearing for November 10.
The High Court had previously issued notices and summons on October 8 to several defendants in the defamation suit, including Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, X, Google LLC, Meta Platforms, RPSG Lifestyle Media, and ‘John Doe,’ instructing them to file their responses within seven days.
Additionally, Wankhede is seeking an interim order to remove the allegedly defamatory content from various websites.
His plea argues that the series unfairly portrays anti-drug enforcement agencies in a negative and misleading light, thereby undermining public trust in these critical institutions.
The lawsuit further asserts that the series was intentionally created and released to harm Wankhede’s reputation in a biased and detrimental way, particularly while a related case involving him and Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, is still awaiting judgment in the Bombay High Court and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Special Court in Mumbai.
Netflix’s counsel has opposed the suit. Wankhede’s petition highlights that the series features a character making an obscene gesture – specifically, a middle finger – immediately after uttering the national slogan “Satyamev Jayate,” which is part of India’s National Emblem.
ALSO READ: Delhi High Court Issues Notice to Red Chillies, Netflix in Sameer Wankhede’s Defamation Case Against ‘Bastards of Bollywood’
This act, according to the plea, represents a serious violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and carries legal penalties.
The plea also contends that the series’ content contravenes several sections of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as it aims to offend national sentiments with its obscene and objectionable material.