New Delhi— The Delhi High Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede’s suit seeking the removal of specific content from the Netflix series “Ba*ds of Bollywood.” The show, created and directed by Aryan Khan, features a character in Episode 1—from timestamp 32:02 to 33:50—who Wankhede claims bears a striking resemblance to him in appearance, speech, and mannerisms.
Wankhede, who arrested Aryan Khan in the 2021 Cordelia cruise drug case before the latter was later exonerated, has alleged that the portrayal defames him and damages his reputation. His petition demands that Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix take down the contested footage.
Appearing before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, lawyers for Red Chillies and Netflix argued that the Delhi High Court lacked territorial jurisdiction. They maintained that the suit should have been filed in Mumbai, where Wankhede resides and where Red Chillies’ registered office is located. They also contended that the series is a fictional satire and not a recreation of the 2021 NCB raid.
Netflix’s counsel, Rajiv Nayyar, stated that simply linking the series to Aryan Khan does not prove malice, while Red Chillies’ counsel, Neeraj Kishan Kaul, added that the disputed scene depicts a Bollywood party and not real events.
Wankhede’s counsel, Jai Sai Deepak, countered that the harm occurred in Delhi, pointing out that departmental proceedings against Wankhede are based in the capital, Delhi media houses sought his reactions after the show’s release, and the series was promoted extensively in the city. He further claimed the actor playing the alleged lookalike personally told Wankhede that he was “representing” him, calling it an admission of resemblance.
The court has reserved its decision and will now consider two key questions: whether the suit is maintainable in Delhi, and whether the contested content, when viewed in full, is defamatory.
