Mumbai: IRS officer Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, and others, alleging that the new Netflix series “Ba***ds of Bollywood,” directed by Aryan Khan, portrays him in a defamatory manner.
Wankhede has sought Rs. 2 crore in damages, which he intends to donate to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital to support cancer patients. The suit also requests a permanent and mandatory injunction against the production house and associated parties to prevent the allegedly “false, malicious, and defamatory video” from being broadcast.
According to the suit, the series was “deliberately conceptualised and executed” to tarnish Wankhede’s reputation in a “colourable and prejudicial manner,” particularly while the case involving him and Aryan Khan remains sub-judice before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court.
The legal filing also points to a scene in which a character is shown making an “obscene gesture,” specifically showing a middle finger after reciting the slogan “Satyamev Jayate.” Wankhede’s team claims that this act constitutes a violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which carries penal consequences.
Further, the suit asserts that the content violates provisions under the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as it allegedly outrages national sentiment through the use of obscene and offensive material.
This move by Wankhede highlights the growing legal scrutiny over portrayals of public officials in digital entertainment content, raising questions around creative freedom, national sentiment, and reputational rights in India’s streaming industry.
