Delhi HC Dismisses Suit to Remove Scenes from Bads of Bollywood Show

Delhi High Court has dismissed Sameer Wankhede’s suit, which sought to direct Shah Rukh Khan, Red Chillies Entertainment, and Netflix to remove certain scenes from the series Ba*ds of Bollywood. The court ruled that it does not have jurisdiction over the matter. Wankhede, a former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer, argued that parts of the show were defamatory and intended to harm his reputation. Specifically, he objected to Episode 1, between 32:02 and 33:50, where a character, he claims, closely resembles him in looks, behavior, and mannerisms.

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Aryan Khan, the son of Shah Rukh Khan, created, co-wrote, and directed the Netflix series Ba*ds of Bollywood. Sameer Wankhede arrested Aryan during the 2021 NCB raid on a cruise ship, though the agency cleared him and five others in 2022. Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix opposed Wankhede’s plea, arguing that the Delhi High Court lacks territorial jurisdiction. Senior advocates Neeraj Kishan Kaul (representing Red Chillies) and Rajiv Nayyar (representing Netflix) argued that Wankhede should have filed the suit in Mumbai, where both his residence and Red Chillies’ registered office are located.

Red Chillies Netflix Defend Wankhede Alleges Defamation

Red Chillies and Netflix argued that the series is a fictional, satirical story set at a Bollywood success party and not a recreation of the Cordelia cruise raid. Netflix added that Aryan Khan’s direction of the show, despite his past interaction with Wankhede, doesn’t imply malice. Representing Wankhede, senior advocate Jai Sai Deepak argued that the case is maintainable in Delhi, as the defamation primarily affected the capital. He highlighted that departmental proceedings, media interactions, and promotional activities all took place in Delhi. Deepak also claimed the actor portraying the character admitted to resembling Wankhede, and media reports identified the character as him, harming his reputation.

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