Delhi High Court has dismissed Sameer Wankhede’s suit seeking directions to Shah Rukh Khan Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix to take down certain content from the series Ba***ds of Bollywood. It said that it does not have the jurisdiction to hear the same.
The court had earlier reserved its order on Sameer Wankhede’s plea seeking interim relief, in which he asked for directions to Shah Rukh Khan’s production banner Red Chillies Entertainment and streaming platform Netflix to remove certain scenes from the series.
Wankhede, a former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer, has claimed that parts of the show are defamatory and aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
His suit specifically concerns Episode 1, between 32:02 and 33:50, where a character is depicted who Wankhede alleges bears a striking resemblance to him in terms of looks, behaviour and mannerisms.
The Netflix series has been created, co-written and directed by Aryan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan’s son. Aryan was arrested by Wankhede during the 2021 NCB raid on a cruise ship, though he and five others were later cleared by the agency in 2022.
Red Chillies and Netflix opposed the plea, arguing that the Delhi High Court does not have territorial jurisdiction in the matter. Senior advocates Neeraj Kishan Kaul (for Red Chillies) and Rajiv Nayyar (for Netflix) submitted that the suit ought to have been filed in Mumbai, since both Wankhede’s residence and Red Chillies’ registered office are located there.
{{/usCountry}}Red Chillies and Netflix opposed the plea, arguing that the Delhi High Court does not have territorial jurisdiction in the matter. Senior advocates Neeraj Kishan Kaul (for Red Chillies) and Rajiv Nayyar (for Netflix) submitted that the suit ought to have been filed in Mumbai, since both Wankhede’s residence and Red Chillies’ registered office are located there.
{{/usCountry}}They further maintained that the series is a fictional, satirical story set during a Bollywood success party and does not recreate the Cordelia cruise raid. Netflix also argued that the fact that Aryan Khan directed the show—despite his past interaction with Wankhede—does not indicate malice or warrant the removal of content.
Representing Wankhede, senior advocate Jai Sai Deepak contended that the case was maintainable in Delhi as the alleged defamation had its primary impact in the capital. He pointed out that departmental proceedings against Wankhede are based in Delhi, several media interactions took place in the city after the series was released, and both Red Chillies and Netflix undertook extensive promotional activities in Delhi.
Deepak also claimed that the actor playing the character had acknowledged portraying Wankhede. He added that media reports had independently identified the character as Wankhede and argued that the depiction cast him in a negative light, causing reputational damage.
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