Subjected to ridicule: Sameer Wankhede shows court clip from B**ds of Bollywood

Sameer Wankhede, former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal head who filed a Rs 2 crore defamation suit against Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix over the web series The Ba**ds of Bollywood, submitted to the Delhi High Court on Monday that a character in the show allegedly resembling him has brought ridicule to him and his family in the aftermath. Wankhede, through his counsel, showed a clip from the show to the court in order to substantiate his claim.

Wankhede, who came into national prominence during the 2021 Mumbai cruise drug case involving actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, claimed the depiction in the series was "false, malicious, and defamatory".

He further asserted that the negative portrayal has impacted his reputation as well as public trust in anti-drug enforcement agencies.

Produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, the series was released globally in September and allegedly includes a satirical representation of the NCB officer.

During Monday’s hearing, Wankhede’s counsel told the court that the former officer has faced widespread ridicule and reputational damage following the release of the series.

"The representation in the episode appears to suggest that I am driven by hunger for publicity," his lawyer argued on his client’s behalf, adding that both Wankhede and his family have been "subjected to ridicule and defamation" as a direct result of the show’s portrayal.

The lawyer contended that the depiction was not coincidental but linked to the "history between the parties," referring to the 2021 case where Aryan Khan was arrested by the NCB under Wankhede’s supervision.

The counsel alleged that the character’s resemblance to Wankhede—combined with contextual references to the film industry—was clearly intended to mock and malign him.

Wankhede’s plea also refers to a specific scene in which a character modelled after him storms a Bollywood party, utters the national motto "Satyamev Jayate," and then makes an obscene gesture.

The former officer claims the scene violates the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and maligns his image as a public servant.

Wankhede’s lawyer told the court that the portrayal had gone beyond artistic expression and had directly caused mental distress.

"This is not creative liberty or fair satire," he said. "My client has been ridiculed online, his wife and sister have received derogatory messages, and his family’s dignity has been attacked since the series aired".

The Delhi High Court had earlier summoned Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, and other respondents in connection with the defamation suit.

The defendants have maintained that the show is a work of fiction and satire, asserting that Wankhede’s reputation was already a matter of public discourse due to his involvement in high-profile investigations.

Wankhede is seeking both damages and an injunction to remove or modify the allegedly defamatory portions of the series.

He claims the portrayal undermines faith in law enforcement and has caused "irreparable harm" to his personal and professional reputation.

The matter will next be heard on November 17.

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