Superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s production house, Red Chillies Entertainment, has strongly defended itself in the Delhi High Court against the defamation case filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede. The dispute centers around the Netflix series The Ba*ds of Bollywood**, directed by Aryan Khan, which Wankhede claims mocks and defames him.
Red Chillies Opposes Interim Injunction
On Wednesday, Red Chillies Entertainment objected to Wankhede’s request for an interim injunction on the series. Represented by senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, the production house argued that the show is a work of satire and fiction, not a depiction of the Cordelia cruise case in which Aryan Khan was arrested in 2021.
Kaul told Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav:
“Can satire and fiction co-exist? There is no law barring it. A story may draw inspiration from real people yet remain fictional. There is no ill-will or malice.”
He emphasized that the series explores multiple issues in Bollywood and portrays exaggerated situations.
“We are inspired by overzealous officers — that does not mean this is the Cordelia cruise story,” Kaul added.
No Direct Reference to Cordelia Case, Says Red Chillies
Kaul highlighted that the series contains disclaimers and does not present itself as a documentary on the drug bust:
“You cannot take a stray instance or a passage and call it defamatory. The show covers nearly 20 different issues. Hurt sentiments alone cannot prove malice.”
Wankhede’s History with Aryan Khan
In October 2021, Wankhede led the NCB team that detained Aryan Khan during a raid on the Cordelia Empress cruise. Aryan spent more than three weeks in jail before being granted bail.
He was later given a clean chit, and the case raised major questions about procedural lapses and wrongful targeting.
Red Chillies Questions Wankhede’s Claims
Kaul argued that Wankhede himself has frequently spoken to the media and cannot claim personal targeting:
“A public official cannot be so thin-skinned. Even exaggerated portrayals do not automatically amount to defamation.”
He concluded:
“Even if I portray him unjustly, that still does not make a legal case. The show exaggerates every scene. There is no ridicule or malice.”
The High Court will hear Netflix’s submissions on Thursday.
About the Defamation Suit
In September, Wankhede filed a defamation suit seeking:
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Permanent and mandatory injunction
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Damages
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Declaration of defamation
…against Red Chillies Entertainment, Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Khan, Aryan Khan, and Netflix.
Wankhede alleges one specific scene in the series “mocks” him, and that the content is false, malicious, and damaging to his reputation.
