The Delhi High Court has issued summons to streaming giant Netflix and Shah Rukh Khan’s production house Red Chillies Entertainment in connection with a defamation suit filed by former Indian Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede.
The case concerns Aryan Khan’s directorial debut, the Netflix series Ba***ds of Bollywood, which Wankhede claims maligns his reputation and distorts the facts of a high-profile investigation he led.
Wankhede rose to prominence during the 2021 arrest of Aryan Khan, son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, in a drugs-related case that later fell apart due to lack of evidence. In his suit, Wankhede alleges that the Netflix series includes a dramatized scene closely resembling Aryan Khan’s arrest, a depiction he says is a deliberate attempt to target and defame him.
In the scene in question, a policeman chanting “Sachamay Jaidaiv” arrests a man smoking a drug-laced cigarette. When the man claims he is not from Bollywood and points to another individual, the officer proceeds to arrest the second person solely for standing near the drug user. Wankhede argues that the portrayal is a thinly veiled reference to his handling of Aryan Khan’s case, implying misconduct and abuse of authority.
The court had flagged procedural issues with Wankhede’s original petition, deeming it not maintainable in its then form. After the former NCB officer amended his plea, the court has now formally moved forward with the matter by summoning all involved parties to respond to the allegations.
The court has directed Netflix, Red Chillies Entertainment, and other associated respondents to file their replies before the next hearing.