Kamal Ghorui
It’s not a good news for Sameer Wankhede as the Delhi High Court has dismissed the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer’s petition against Shah Rukh Khan’s production banner Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd and streaming giant Netflix, on Thursday. For those not in the know, the plea stemmed from Wankhede’s allegation that he was defamed through his portrayal in the web series ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’.Wankhede had approached the court seeking a stay on certain scenes and their removal from the Netflix show, claiming they mocked and maligned him. Thus, he had filed a defamation case of Rs 2 crore against the makers. The former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer had earlier led the 2021 Mumbai cruise drug raid in which actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was arrested. Wankhede was later exonerated of all allegations related to the case.
According to his complaint, one of the episodes features a character who closely resembles him, and the depiction was allegedly crafted to damage his public reputation. He demanded ₹2 crore as compensation from Red Chillies Entertainment, co-owned by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, and Netflix, along with an order preventing the release or circulation of any content he deemed defamatory.‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ marks Aryan Khan’s debut as a director. The series boasts an ensemble cast including Bobby Deol, Lakshya, Sahher Bambba, Manoj Pahwa, Mona Singh, Manish Chaudhari, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, Vijayant Kohli, Rajat Bedi, and Gautami Kapoor. The narrative follows Aasmaan Singh (played by Lakshya), a determined outsider chasing his dreams in the Hindi film industry, gradually uncovering the glamour, chaos, and ruthless realities that define Bollywood.
