A legal dispute has emerged between IRS officer Sameer Wankhede and Shah Rukh Khan’s production house, Red Chillies Entertainment, concerning the Netflix web series The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, directed by Aryan Khan. Wankhede has filed a ₹2 crore defamation suit in the Delhi High Court, alleging that the series’ portrayal of a government officer is a veiled reference to him, harming his reputation—especially in connection with the 2021 Cordelia Empress cruise drug case involving Aryan Khan.
Red Chillies Entertainment has opposed Wankhede’s request for an interim injunction to halt the series’ streaming. Senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, representing Red Chillies, argued that while the show draws inspiration from overzealous officers, it does not specifically depict or reference the Cordelia cruise incident.
Kaul emphasized, “Can satire and fiction co-exist? There is no law that says they cannot. A work may be partly inspired by real people and stories, yet disclaimers allow both to coexist. Where is the ill-will or malice? This is about a success story in a Bollywood party.”He further stated, “We are not focusing on sensitive individuals; being hurt does not imply malice. You cannot isolate a stray instance or passage.
The series covers around 20 different issues. This is not a documentary on the Cordelia cruise incident. Inspiration from overzealous officers does not mean it is the Cordelia cruise story.”Kaul also pointed out that Wankhede frequently gives media interviews, adding, “You cannot claim that portraying flaws in Bollywood means overzealous officers cannot be shown.
I am not responsible for others’ comments. I am entitled to depict issues affecting Bollywood. Even if someone is projected, a public official should not be so thin-skinned,” speaking on behalf of Red Chillies.Concluding, Kaul remarked, “Even if portrayed unjustly, that alone is not the case. Every scene in this show is exaggerated. I am not ridiculing him or the emblem; I am addressing officials with lofty ideas.”The next hearing is scheduled for November 27, 2025, when the court will hear arguments on behalf of Netflix.
