Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation case in the Delhi High Court against Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan’s production company, Red Chillies Entertainment, and streaming platform Netflix over their new series The Ba**ds of Bollywood*.
The lawsuit alleges that the series, directed by Aryan Khan in his debut project, defames Wankhede by portraying a character resembling him. The first episode depicts a man arriving at a Bollywood party searching for “people who are doing drugs,” which Wankhede claims was a direct attempt to tarnish his image.
Wankhede has sought a permanent injunction, declaration, and damages worth Rs 2 crore — a sum he has pledged to donate to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital. He argues that the show was “deliberately conceptualised and executed with intent to malign” his reputation.
Released on Netflix last week, the show marks Aryan Khan’s first directorial venture. Its controversy stems from Wankhede’s role in Aryan’s 2021 arrest during a Narcotics Control Bureau raid on a cruise ship. Aryan spent 25 days in jail before being granted bail and was eventually acquitted of all charges.
The case has renewed debate on creative freedom versus personal defamation in India’s entertainment industry. The Delhi High Court is expected to hear the matter soon.
