'Matter Of Self-Respect, Dignity': Sameer Wankhede On Defamation Case Against Netflix, Red Chillies

Former Mumbai NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede on Saturday said that his defamation case against Netflix and Red Chillies Entertainment is a personal matter unrelated to his professional role.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday summoned Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and streaming platform Netflix in connection with a defamation suit filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede, who has alleged that their series “The Ba**ds of Bollywood”* tarnished his reputation.

Wankhede has sought Rs 2 crore in damages, which he wants donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer patients.

According to the plea, Aryan Khan’s directorial Netflix series ‘The Bads of Bollywood’ disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement

agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions.

The plea stated that the series was deliberately conceptualised and produced to malign Wankhede’s reputation in a biased and prejudicial manner, particularly while the case involving him and Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, remains pending before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.

What Did Wankhede Say?

Speaking on the issue, Wankhede said, “My personal belief is that this has nothing to do with my job or my profession. In my personal capacity, I’ve approached the Delhi High Court. I wouldn’t like to comment on the court proceedings or the issues involved, because the matter has been sub judice.”

Calling the case one of “self-respect, personal dignity, and personal honour,” Wankhede added, “Whatever satire or parody you create, do it with your own people. Today, the issue of drug abuse has become a major issue for our nation, and by highlighting such things, you’re insulting not just one person, but those who have worked with me, and others who fight against drug abuse.”

He also expressed concern over the impact on his family, saying, “My family has nothing to do with my profession. They have nothing to do with my cases or my work, but why are they feeling the brunt of these kinds of things? Hate messages are coming from Pakistan, the UAE, and Bangladesh. I will not accept that because of me, they are facing the brunt of it.”

Wankhede said that his family has been regularly informing the police about the threats received by his sister and wife.