Notice to Shah Rukh Khan, Netflix from Delhi High Court in Wankhede defamation suit over Aryan Khan series

The Delhi High Court on 8 October, Wednesday, has issued notice to actor Shah Rukh Khan, Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix and other platforms, following a defamation suit filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede, who claims the docuseries The Ba***ds of Bollywood has damaged his reputation.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav summoned Red Chillies Entertainment, owned by Gauri Khan, Netflix, X Corp (formerly Twitter), Google LLC, Meta Platforms, RPG Lifestyle Media Private Limited, and unnamed parties to respond to the lawsuit within seven days. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on 30 October.

Wankhede alleges that the series, conceptualised and directed by Aryan Khan, was "deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign Wankhede's reputation in a colourable and prejudicial manner", making its release especially problematic given ongoing legal proceedings involving him and Aryan Khan in the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.

His suit seeks Rs 2 crore in damages — which he requests be donated to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer patients — and calls for an order to take down the allegedly defamatory content from websites.

“This series disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions,” Wankhede's petition stated. The plea also objects to scenes in the series, including a segment where a character allegedly makes an obscene gesture after saying 'Satyamev jayate’, which Wankhede claims is "a grave and sensitive violation" of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, as well as other Indian statutes.

The court has not passed any interim injunction order at this stage, but has directed all parties to reply to the application for removal of content. Wankhede claims that since the series went live, he, his wife and sister have faced targeted online harassment, including trolling that specifically references the show.

Previously, Wankhede's initial plea had been dismissed as not maintainable, but he filed an amended suit after directions from the court. The case adds another layer to the ongoing controversy tied to Aryan Khan’s high-profile 2021 cruise ship drugs investigation and sustained public debate concerning law enforcement, celebrity status, and media portrayals in India.