Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede on Thursday filed a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, global streaming platform Netflix, and others.
In his plea, Wankhede has alleged that one particular scene in the show "mocks" him. He alleges that their series 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood' contains false, malicious, and defamatory content aimed at damaging his reputation. According to NDTV, Wankhede has demanded Rs 2 crore in damages.
Directed by Aryan Khan, The Ba***ds of Bollywood is an eight-episode show which aired on Netflix on Sept. 18.
Sameer Wankhede Vs Aryan Khan
Sameer Wankhede and Aryan were embroiled in a big controversy when the former NCB officer arrested SRK's son on Oct. 3, 2021 after a raid on the Cordelia cruise ship a day before.
Aryan spent 25 days in jail but his name was not included in the list of accused in the NCB charge sheet for a lack of evidence.
In May 2023, the CBI conducted searches at the premises of Wankhede after filing an FIR against him and four others for allegedly seeking Rs 25 crore bribe for not framing SRK's son in the drugs-on-cruise case.
The NCB, which had filed a charge-sheet in the drugs-on-cruise case, gave a clean chit to Aryan, while an SIT set up by the anti-drugs agency claimed the probe led by Wankhede had lapses.
Disputed Scene Of The Ba***ds of Bollywood
When 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood' dropped on Netflix, fans quickly noticed a character in the show bearing an uncanny resemblance to Wankhede who arrested Aryan in 2021. The character appears in the first episode, storming a Bollywood party while declaring war on drugs and claiming the industry is riddled with substance abuse.
Sporting a white shirt, dark pants, and a similar haircut, the character's features closely match Wankhede's. Although the show's makers haven't confirmed the connection, social media users are convinced the character is too similar to the ex-NCB officer.
No Way They Cast a Sameer Wankhede Lookalike in #TheBadsOfBollywood and Gave #AryanKhan Case Reference 😭pic.twitter.com/CZmxipbwok
September 18, 2025'The Ba***ds of Bollywood' stars Lakshya Lalwani, Sahher Bambba, Bobby Deol, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh and Mona Singh. It also features cameos by many celebrities, including Karan Johar, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh and SRK. The show is produced by Gauri through the banner Red Chillies Entertainment.
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