Red Chillies Entertainment, the production house of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, has urged the Delhi High Court to dismiss a defamation suit filed by former NCB officer Sameer Wankhede. The company’s argument is that Wankhede was already a subject of public ridicule and criticism before the Netflix series ‘Ba***ds of Bollywood’ was even released, thus negating the claim of defamation by the show.
The series, which was created, co-written, and directed by Aryan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan’s son, faces allegations of defamation from Wankhede. Wankhede was the officer who arrested Aryan Khan in a 2021 cruise ship raid, though Aryan Khan and five others were later exonerated by the NCB in 2022.
In its official response filed in October, Red Chillies Entertainment described the series as a satirical commentary on the Mumbai Bollywood scene, asserting that the characters’ portrayals are intended to be humorous and do not constitute defamation. The company maintains that all characters are intentionally exaggerated to highlight societal absurdities and that Wankhede’s suit unfairly targets legitimate artistic expression.
Red Chillies Entertainment further stated that Wankhede’s suit stems from hypersensitivity, noting that public discourse, social media posts, and news articles had already impacted his reputation prior to the series’ release. They claim Wankhede is attempting to silence artistic and satirical content due to his already contested public image.
Wankhede had specifically sought the removal of content from the first episode that features a character closely resembling him. He alleged that the series makers deliberately tarnished his reputation.
The case was adjourned to November 10 by Justice Purushindra Kumar Kaurav, allowing all parties, including Red Chillies and Netflix, to submit their written arguments. Red Chillies was represented by senior advocates Neeraj Kishan Kaul and Shyel Trehan, Netflix by senior advocate Rajiv Nayyar, and Wankhede by senior advocate J Sai Deepak.
Red Chillies also argued that removing the clip Wankhede objects to would disrupt the series’ narrative flow and harm its overall integrity. They clarified that the police officer character in the series is depicted as merely ‘overzealous’ and is not explicitly named.