Sameer Wankhede vs Aryan Khan and ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’: Sometimes real-life drama walks straight out of courtrooms and into the entertainment world. And this time, it involves a hit Netflix show, a former NCB officer, and one of Bollywood’s biggest production houses. What started as a courtroom plea has now turned into a headline-grabbing showdown.
Red Chillies Entertainment, the production company backed by Shah Rukh Khan, has firmly pushed back against a legal request filed by Indian Revenue Service officer and former NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede. Wankhede moved the Delhi High Court asking for an order to stop streaming (and remove certain scenes from) the Netflix series ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ alleging that it harms his reputation.
But Red Chillies has made its stand clear: the company says this case has no basis, calls it legally weak, and insists it hasn’t wronged Wankhede in any way.
‘This case has no legs,’ says Red Chillies
In its official response submitted to the Delhi High Court, Red Chillies described Wankhede’s suit as misguided and legally hollow. According to the production house, the series never mentions his name, doesn’t show him, and doesn’t make any claims about him. They labelled the show as a work of satire.
The affidavit supporting this stance has been filed by Venkatesh Mysore representing Red Chillies.
Jurisdiction and credibility questions raised
Red Chillies also questioned whether the Delhi High Court even has the authority to entertain this case. The reply points out that both Wankhede and key parties like Netflix operate out of Mumbai.
Since the filing location doesn’t match the individuals involved, the production house argues that the case shouldn’t have been brought in Delhi to begin with.
The reply also refers to a CBI case filed in 2023 against Wankhede for alleged corruption and extortion; something Wankhede has denied in the past. But according to Red Chillies, the existence of that FIR alone weakens the claim that the officer enjoys an “unblemished public image”.
They further argued that Wankhede has already been in public controversy long before this Netflix show aired and therefore, a new claim of reputational harm doesn’t hold ground.
Satire, free speech, and creative freedom
A large part of Red Chillies’ defence rests on the principle of creative freedom. The company explains the show touches on Bollywood themes like nepotism, paparazzi frenzy, and celebrity scandals all through humour and exaggeration. That they say is protected under India’s freedom of expression laws.
At the centre of Wankhede’s complaint lies a 1-minute-48-second scene allegedly showing an over-enthusiastic officer. Red Chillies insists this moment is fictional, harmless, and doesn’t target Wankhede.
Their legal reply also draws from well-known judicial rulings, mentioning the Bonnard v. Perryman principle. It is a legal standpoint that warns courts against blocking speech or content before trial especially in defamation matters.
In simpler terms: Let the trial decide. Don’t silence the creators prematurely.
‘Public figures can’t be overly sensitive’
Another sharp point from the production house: people holding public roles, like Wankhede, must face public scrutiny.
Red Chillies argues that this petition seems like an attempt to silence creative voices, not protect dignity.
The company also emphasised that cutting the scene would damage the flow of the series, which is already streaming on Netflix since September 18, 2025. They claim the officer, if he wins later, can seek financial compensation. But censoring the content now would harm artistic rights and set a worrying example for creative industries.
The Delhi High Court has scheduled the case for detailed hearing on November 10 before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav. Earlier the court sought responses from Netflix and other parties, after Wankhede requested a permanent injunction and ₹2 crore as damages for defamation.
Until then, the debate continues not on screens this time, but inside the courtroom.