A legal dispute has erupted between IRS officer Sameer Wankhede and Shah Rukh Khan’s production company, Red Chillies Entertainment, regarding the Netflix series “The Ba***ds of Bollywood,” directed by Aryan Khan. Wankhede has filed a defamation lawsuit for ₹2 crores in the Delhi High Court, claiming the show unfairly portrays him, affecting his reputation, especially concerning the 2021 drug case linked to Aryan Khan.
In its defense, Red Chillies opposed Wankhede’s request for an immediate halt to the series. Senior lawyer Neeraj Kishan Kaul, representing Red Chillies, argued that while the series may draw inspiration from intense law enforcement figures, it does not directly reference the Cordelia cruise incident.
Kaul emphasized that satire and fiction can exist together, stating, “There is no law against it. While I may take cues from real-life stories, it doesn’t equate to a documentary about the Cordelia cruise.” He further elaborated that the series tackles multiple issues in Bollywood and is not solely focused on the cruise incident.
He pointed out that Wankhede frequently speaks to the media and added, “I cannot be held responsible for how others interpret my work. I’m simply highlighting the challenges in Bollywood; public figures should be able to handle criticism.”
Wrapping up his argument, Kaul insisted that even if characters in the series may appear exaggerated, it is not meant as ridicule. The court will consider arguments from Netflix in the next hearing scheduled for November 27, 2025.
