IRS officer Sameer Wankhede alleges malicious defamation, calls ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ “a personal vendetta”

NEW DELHI: Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and former NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Dnyandev Wankhede has filed a rejoinder before the Delhi High Court, accusing Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., the Shah Rukh Khan owned production house, of producing and circulating “false, malicious and defamatory” content through its Netflix web series ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’.

Wankhede contended that the web series is not a work of fiction but a “personal vendetta disguised as satire”, orchestrated to malign his reputation following the 2021 Cordelia Cruise drug case involving Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan.

In the rejoinder, Wankhede alleged that the character of a government officer depicted in the series was deliberately modelled on him, citing striking resemblances in appearance, speech, and the use of his trademark phrase “Satyamev Jayate.” He said the scene amounted to a “premeditated, targeted campaign” intended to ridicule and destroy his reputation.

“The series is not satire but a calculated hit job designed to settle personal scores,” the rejoinder stated, adding that the content mocked not only the officer but also the national motto ‘Satyamev Jayate’.

Wankhede asserted that the content has caused him public humiliation, leading to a “wave of online ridicule” against him and his family. “My wife and sister are being subjected to offensive and distasteful messages,” he said, terming the damage to his reputation irreparable.

The rejoinder further accused the company of revenge and commercial greed, asserting that “the defendants cannot hide behind the convenient veil of satire or artistic expression to justify a malicious act.”

Wankhede argued that his right to reputation, protected under Article 21 of the Constitution, has been violated and urged the court to restrain the streaming and promotion of the allegedly defamatory scenes until the defamation suit is decided.

In its reply affidavit, Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd had opposed Wankhede’s injunction plea, describing the defamation suit as “wholly misconceived, untenable in law, and devoid of merit.”

The reply states that ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ is a situational satire that does not name or depict Wankhede and contains no defamatory material.

At the threshold, the company challenged the maintainability of the suit, contending that the Delhi High Court lacks territorial jurisdiction, since both Wankhede and the principal defendants, including Netflix, are based in Mumbai. It said the jurisdictional defect at inception renders the proceedings a nullity, which cannot be cured through later amendments to the plaint.

The production house also questioned Wankhede’s claim of an unblemished service record, referring to the CBI FIR registered in May 2023 for alleged extortion and corruption.

“The existence of the FIR and the necessity for interim protection undermine the plaintiff’s claim of an unblemished reputation,” the company submitted, further asserting that Wankhede was already the subject of “public ridicule and adverse commentary” even before the series was released.

Red Chillies maintained that the series is a creative and humorous commentary on the film industry, tackling themes like nepotism, paparazzi culture, and celebrity controversies, using humour and parody protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. It stated that the brief sequence objected to by Wankhede, lasting just one minute and forty-eight seconds, “merely portrays an overzealous officer” and carries no defamatory reference.

“Satire allows the satirist to criticise in the harshest of terms. Whether the comment is satirical or malicious can only be determined at trial,” the reply stated.

Arguing that Wankhede, as a public servant, must tolerate public scrutiny, Red Chillies stated, “Those who fill public positions must not be too thin-skinned. A person whose conduct has been the subject of official inquiry cannot claim special protection from fair comment or satire.”

Calling Wankhede’s plea an attempt to stifle legitimate artistic expression, the production house said that removing the impugned scene would distort the narrative flow of the series, which has been streaming on Netflix since September 18, 2025.

On Thursday, the Delhi High Court directed all parties to file written submissions and listed the matter for further hearing on November 10 before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav.

On the previous date, the court had issued notice to Netflix, Red Chillies, and others on Wankhede’s plea seeking a permanent injunction and Rs 2 crore in damages for alleged defamation. (ANI)