Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede, who spearheaded the 2021 Aryan Khan drug bust case, has filed a ₹20 million defamation suit. The suit is against Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, and others. The petition, submitted before the Delhi High Court, alleges that Aryan Khan’s directorial debut series The Ba**ds of Bollywood* portrays him in a “false, malicious and defamatory” manner. This portrayal is said to tarnish both his personal and professional image.
The Netflix series is produced by Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and premiered on September 18 to largely positive reviews. However, Wankhede claims the show was deliberately designed to malign him. This occurs even as his ongoing legal dispute with Aryan Khan remains under consideration at the Bombay High Court and NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.
According to reports, Wankhede argued that the show’s narrative damages the credibility of India’s anti-drug enforcement agencies. His plea stated: “This series disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies. It thereby erodes public confidence in law enforcement institutions.”
The petition highlights several controversial scenes. This includes one where a narcotics officer raids a Bollywood party, invokes India’s national motto Satyamev Jayate, and is immediately mocked. A character shows a middle finger—an act Wankhede contends violates the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
Another sequence shows the officer lecturing a man smoking drugs, declaring, “I am part of the war against drugs, I am part of NCG.” The man dismissively replies that he isn’t part of Bollywood, leaving the officer humiliated. Later, the officer slaps an actor, orders an arrest, and comments, “Ye Bollywood walay bhi na (These Bollywood people, I tell you).”
Wankhede maintains that these portrayals mock his identity and undermine the authority of enforcement institutions. He has pledged that if awarded damages, he will donate the ₹20 million compensation to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital.
The Delhi High Court is now set to hear the case. This marks another high-profile legal chapter linked to the Aryan Khan drugs-on-cruise controversy.