The Delhi High Court has declined to entertain a defamation suit filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede against the Netflix series The Ba***ds of Bollywood, which marks the directorial debut of Aryan Khan.
Court Ruling
On January 29, 2026, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav ruled that the Delhi High Court lacks the appropriate jurisdiction to hear the matter.
- Key Outcome: The court returned the plaint, granting Wankhede the liberty to approach a competent court in the appropriate jurisdiction (likely Mumbai, where the parties are based).
- Legal Standing: The court did not rule on the merits of the defamation claim but focused strictly on the procedural authority to hear the suit.
The Defamation Claims
Wankhede, the former Mumbai Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), alleged that the series contains a character designed to ridicule and defame him.
| Wankhede’s Demands | Red Chillies/Netflix Defense |
| ₹2 Crore in damages. | The series is a satire and parody, protected as free expression. |
| Immediate removal of defamatory scenes. | Wankhede’s reputation was already under public scrutiny due to CBI probes. |
| Injunction against further publication. | A “Sameer Wankhede lookalike” raiding a party is a trope, not specific defamation. |
Context: The Series
The Ba***ds of Bollywood (often stylized as The Bads of Bollywood) premiered on September 18, 2025. Directed by Aryan Khan and produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, the satirical drama explores the “movie mafia,” nepotism, and the chaotic underbelly of the film industry.
The series features:
- Lead Cast: Lakshya Lalwani, Bobby Deol, and Sahher Bambba.
- Meta-Commentary: It includes scenes widely interpreted as a response to Aryan Khan’s 2021 arrest in the high-profile cruise ship drug case, from which he was later cleared.