Sameer Wankhede Bads Of Bollywood Battle: HC Says On Defamation Case

The entertainment industry was shaken, in September 2025, by a battle between Sameer Wankhede, a former officer with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan. The lawsuit relates to the Netflix series **The Ba**ds of Bollywood***, that Aryan Khan directed, and his father's company, Red Chillies Entertainment produced. Wankhede has filed a lawsuit alleging that this series misrepresents him, and is seeking ₹2 crore in damages for defamation.

Background Of The NCB Case

The controversy traces from a NCB drug bust on a cruise ship in October of 2021, where Aryan Khan was arrested in the operation led by the NCB's zonal director at the time, Sameer Wankhede. The bust gained a lot of media attention and led to many allegations and counter-allegations. Aryan Khan was exonerated in 2022, However, the impact of the drug bust remained with everyone involved.

The Netflix Series: 'The Ba**ds of Bollywood'

The Ba**ds of Bollywood* is a seven-episode series that explores the intricacies of the Indian film industry and premiered on September 18, 2025. Although the creators have not explicitly stated that any of the characters or events in the series are directly based on individuals or events from real life, Wankhede believes certain characters and scenes in the series closely resemble the cruise drug case from 2021. He says the representations mischaracterize the role of anti-drug agencies and damage his reputation.

Overview Of The Defamation Lawsuit

Following the series, Sameer Wankhede lodged a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against Aryan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Khan, Netflix, and Red Chillies Entertainment. It is claimed in the suit that the series contains defamatory material that damages Wankhede's reputation and misrepresents the conduct of the NCB. Wankhede is also seeking ₹2 crore in damages, which he intends to donate to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital in Mumbai.

#BREAKING | Ba***ds of Bollywood row: "If there is a reference to him (Sameer Wankhede), I don't see why somebody should freak out. The fact remains that he was removed from job because there was ransom involved," says Actor Naseer Abdullah to NDTV's @divyawadhwa#SameerWankhede pic.twitter.com/883QXZuaGF

— NDTV (@ndtv) September 25, 2025

Inside The Court Proceedings

The High Court of Delhi has acknowledged the defamation suit filed by Sameer Wankhede. In the preliminary hearing, the bench expressed its concern about the maintainability of the action and reasoned how the case comes under the cognizance of the Delhi Court. The Court judges stated that for the suit to be maintained, the petitioner must plead a specific cause of action that relates to Delhi. Wankhede is to amend his petition to include the specifics setting out why the Delhi High Court is the correct venue to bring the suit. Until there is adequate evidence/separation of jurisdiction, the Court has not engaged the merit of the defamation claim.

How The Public Reacted

Thecontroversy has been widely covered in the media and has stimulated public debate: Wankhede's supporters maintain that the series unduly targets him personally and undermines public confidence in law enforcement - others feel it is a zombie of fiction, as it doesn't represent real people, purportedly. Buds of further public discussion have emerged from the controversy about the depictions of law enforcement in the media, and a distinction of engraving between fiction and a documentary style, with real people.