Delhi HC issues summons to Netflix, Red Chillies in Sameer Wankhede's defamation suit against Ba***ds of Bollywood

Former NCB officer Sameer Wankhede, claims that the series The Ba***ds of Bollywood, directed by Aryan Khan, is a deliberate attempt to malign his image.

The Delhi High Court has issued summons in former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede’s ₹2 crore defamation suit against Netflix, Red Chillies Entertainment, and several tech giants over their alleged portrayal of him in the Netflix series The Ba***ds of Bollywood.

Delhi HC has issued summons to Netflix and other big players associated with Ba***ds of Bollywood in Sameer Wankhede's defamation suit

Sameer, who gained national attention in 2021 after leading the controversial “drugs-on-cruise” raid that saw Aryan Khan, son of actor Shah Rukh Khan, arrested, has claimed that the series is a deliberate attempt to malign his image.

The new legal battle comes after viewers noticed a character in Aryan's directorial debut The Ba***ds of Bollywood—produced by Red Chillies Entertainment—bearing a strong resemblance to Sameer. The show, which explores power dynamics within the film industry, features a scene where the character utters Satyamev Jayate before showing the middle finger—a gesture Sameer calls “deeply offensive” and in violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

According to a report in LiveLaw, Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, who was appearing for Sameer, told the court that since the show’s release, he and his family have been targeted online. “In reference to the series, there are posts trolling me, my wife and my sister. Ex facie defamatory. It’s shocking,” Sethi was quoted as saying. He also reportedly added that the defendants “are surely not defending those posts.”

The court observed, “We appreciate that there is cause in your favour to approach this court but there is a process to be followed,” before issuing summons. Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar represented Netflix, while Shyel Trehan appeared for Red Chillies Entertainment.

According to the report, Sameer’s plea names Netflix, Red Chillies Entertainment, X Corp, Google LLC, Meta Platforms, RPG Lifestyle Media, and John Doe as defendants, seeking Rs2 crore in damages—pledged to be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital. The suit argues that the series was “deliberately conceptualised and executed” to damage his reputation while his case against Aryan Khan remains sub judice before the Bombay High Court and NDPS Special Court.