Aryan Khan‘s directorial venture “Ba***ds of Bollywood” has been in the news since its OTT debut on September 18, 2025 on streaming platform Netflix. The satirical comedy which takes a look at the darker, more scandalous side of the entertainment industry and its politics garnered rave reviews as it did headlines. From inquiries over a vaping scene by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to a defamation lawsuit filed by a former IRS officer – this show has done it all.
The latter incident in particular has kept the show in the news cycle as Sameer Wankhede, the IRS officer in question moved the Delhi High Court seeking removal of the show from online platforms and filed a lawsuit against Aryan, Gauri and Shah Rukh Khan, Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix. He accused the show makers of adopting a defamatory tone against him and sought injunctions, declarations, damages from them.
Red Chillies Entertainment hits back at Wankhede
Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment which was behind the production of “Ba***ds of Bollywood”, on Wednesday opposed the plea by Wankhede seeking an interim injunction and argued that the show is a work of satire. They also accused Wankhede of ‘forum shopping’ by filing the case in Delhi instead of Mumbai as per Live Law.
Red Chillies’ Legal representative Senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul related to Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav that the suit had no territorial jurisdiction as both Wankhede and RCE were based in Mumbai.
“The jurisdiction is created in Delhi by saying that it is viewed by many, papers have reported about me. Merely because you feel something, there cannot be cause of action…Apart from creating bogey of cause of action in Delhi when there is none… Clearly the jurisdiction is Bombay and not Delhi. This is clearly a case where you have come court shopping,” he said.
Advocate Kaul also pointed out that Wankhede was ‘fond of giving interviews’ and ‘talked merrily’ about the issues portrayed in the show after its release. According to Live Law, the senior advocate pointed to various articles published in the last two years that carried allegations of extortion and fraud against Wankhede as well as the cases registered against him by the CBI and the ED. He said that even after the launch of the show, Wankhede was seen giving interviews where he said that ‘it is all humour to him.’
“The reason I am showing these are because these are instances of 2023 which have been reported. They are in public domain. Have you taken action? I am not defending my depiction of the scene on the basis of this article but when he says I am wrongly targeted, I have to point out that not only are you extremely fond of giving interviews but there are inquiries pending,” he said defending his client.
He went on to further point out that Wankhede could not pick out a one-minute scene from a seven part series without any context as proof of defamation against him, and that Red Chillies Entertainment was well within it’s right of artistic expression to be inspired from real persons and events.
What’s next for Sameer Wankhede?
The former IRS officer sought Rs 2 crores in damages as the aggrieved party – the amount which will be donated to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for the treatment of Cancer patients if the court decides to rule in his favour.
The Delhi High Court has scheduled the next hearing for Thursday, during which it will hear arguments from OTT giant Netflix according to the Statesman. The court will then decide if the show is to be struck down from online platforms or to dismiss Wankhede’s suit. Stay tuned for further updates.