Sameer Wankhede, the former zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) who played a key role in the 2021 cruise ship drug case involving Aryan Khan, has launched a defamation lawsuit in the Delhi High Court against the producers of the Netflix series The Ba**ds of Bollywood. His petition targets Red Chillies Entertainment, owned by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, Netflix, along with several other parties, claiming that the series depicts him in a “false, malicious, and defamatory” manner. Wankhede asserts that the depiction tarnishes the image of anti-drug enforcement agencies and erodes public trust in these institutions.
One contentious scene features a character who recites the national slogan “Satyamev Jayate” followed by an obscene gesture, which Wankhede argues contravenes the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. The suit demands the removal of the allegedly offensive clip, a permanent injunction, a formal declaration, and ₹2 crore in damages, specifying that any awarded compensation should be donated to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital. The issue arises from the perceived similarity between a character in the series and Wankhede, particularly since he led the NCB’s 2021 operation that resulted in Aryan Khan’s arrest.
Wankhede claims the series was intentionally crafted to damage his reputation, especially as legal proceedings related to him and Aryan Khan are ongoing in the Bombay High Court and NDPS Special Court in Mumbai. The lawsuit contends that the portrayal is prejudicial, occurring while the actual case remains sub-judice, which prohibits public dramatization that may influence public perception. Additionally, social media users have raised concerns about the unnamed character in the show, leading to discussions on how Wankhede can substantiate that it depicts him and whether there is enough similarity to serve as evidence.