Shah Rukh Khan’s production house, Red Chillies Entertainment, which produced Aryan Khan’s directorial debut series The Ba**ds of Bollywood, has hit back at IRS officer Sameer Wankhede’s defamatory suit in court. The production company’s lawyer argued that the series was a “satire” and fell well within the “law as a legitimate form of artistic expression.” Wankhede had moved court seeking the removal of the show, accusing the makers of adopting a defamatory tone against him.
The case was filed in Delhi and the production house said that the suit should have been filed in Delhi, instead of Mumbai as Wankhede resides there, and the company’s house registered office was also in the same city. “Merely because you feel something, there cannot be a cause of action. Clearly the jurisdiction is Mumbai and not Delhi. This is clearly a case where you have come for forum shopping,” senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul argued.
How did SRK’s production company hit back?
As per PTI, during the hearing, senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, representing Red Chillies, told Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav that the series is a “satire,” a form of depiction permitted in law as legitimate artistic expression and social commentary. Kaul cited several news reports pointing out how Wankhede is fond of giving interviews to the media and had spoken merrily about the issues after the launch of the Netflix show.
Kaul argued, “He cannot pick a one-minute stray scene out of context from a seven-part show to contend that it is defamatory.” The senior advocate defended Aryan’s show and reiterated that it is neither a biopic nor a documentary, adding that Red Chillies is fully entitled to be inspired by real-life persons and events. “Even if I am portraying you unfairly, it can never be the case… Every scene is exaggerated and if I don’t bring that wit, I will never be able to convey the message I want to convey,” he said.
The lawyer further contended that Aryan Khan’s show explores various controversies in the Hindi film industry—such as nepotism, paparazzi culture, adultery, and the struggles faced by newcomers—with undertones of satire and parody.
Who is Sameer Wankhede?
Sameer Wankhede was the officer who arrested Aryan Khan while serving as the Mumbai zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) during the Cordelia cruise drug bust in 2021. Aryan spent 22 days in jail before being granted bail and was later cleared of all charges. Subsequently, an extortion case was filed against Wankhede.
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Why did Sameer Wankhede move to court?
A few days after the release of The Ba**ds of Bollywood, Wankhede approached the court objecting to a scene in which a character makes an obscene gesture — specifically, showing a middle finger after the character of a police officer, who arrives at a Bollywood party as part of an anti-drug drive, says Satyamev Jayate, a phrase from the National Emblem.
Wankhede claimed that the series disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies. He alleged that the series has been “deliberately conceptualised” and executed with the intent to malign his reputation in a “colourable and prejudicial manner.”
He filed the suit against Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, X Corp, Google LLC, Meta Platforms Inc, RPG Lifestyle Media Pvt Ltd, and unnamed parties (John Does), seeking Rs 2 crore in damages, which he wants donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer patients.
In his rejoinder to Red Chillies, Wankhede said the “defamatory content” was created to settle personal scores with him and avenge Aryan Khan’s 2021 arrest. “The defamatory content is a well-crafted conspiracy to misuse cinematic power for a personal vendetta and then to hide behind the convenient veil of ‘satire’. Therefore, by giving the colour of satire to this calculated and vindictive ‘hit job’, the defendant no.1 is being mischievous before this court,” the officer said.
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Wankhede also said the series, written and directed by Aryan Khan, was orchestrated to target and malign him.
