The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed the defamation suit filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede over his alleged portrayal in the Aryan Khan-directed Netflix series The Ba**ads of Bollywood. The court declined to hear the case citing lack of jurisdiction and returned the petition, allowing Wankhede to approach the appropriate court.
Delhi High Court dismisses Sameer Wankhede’s defamation suit over Aryan Khan’s Netflix series The Ba**ads of Bollywood
Pronouncing the order, Justice Purushindra Kumar Kaurav said the petition is being remanded to the petitioner to approach a court of competent jurisdiction, adding that all the pending applications have been dismissed. The verdict was delivered during the hearing of Wankhede’s request for an interim injunction seeking to stop the streaming of the series.
During the arguments, the High Court identified two primary issues for determination – whether the suit was maintainable before the Delhi High Court and whether the alleged objectionable depiction in the series, when evaluated in its full context, prima facie amounted to defamation rather than protected artistic expression.
Senior advocate J Sai Deepak represented Sameer Wankhede in the case. Shah Rukh Khan’s production banner Red Chillies Entertainment was represented by senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, while Netflix was represented by senior advocate Rajeev Nayyar.
The case stems from Wankhede’s claim that The Ba**ads of Bollywood has indirectly portrayed him through his portrayal of a government official, which he alleges has caused reputational harm. The officer paid Rs. 2 crore defamation suit, claiming that the series indirectly references the controversial 2021 Cordelia Empress Cruise drug case, in which Aryan Khan was arrested and later acquitted of charges.
Opposing the petition, Red Chillies Entertainment argued that the show does not depict Sameer Wankhede nor does it make any reference to the Cordelia Cruz case. The production house said that the series is a fictional work that largely draws inspiration from the idea of overzealous law enforcement officers and falls within the realm of creative and artistic expression.
With the Delhi High Court refusing to grant relief on jurisdictional grounds, the legal battle is not over yet. Wankhede can now approach the appropriate court to pursue its claims, while the series will remain available for streaming on Netflix.
