'Memes against me...': What Sameer Wankhede told Delhi HC over Aryan Khan’s Netflix show Ba***ds of Bollywood
Sameer Wankhede has sought ₹2 crore in damages which he wants to to be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer patients.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday heard the defamation suit filed by Sameer Wankhede, former Mumbai zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), against Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix and others over Aryan Khan’s directorial debut series The Ba***ds of Bollywood.
Appearing for Wankhede, senior advocate Sandeep Sethi argued that the series was accessible across India, including Delhi, and that memes generated from it had affected his reputation “qua people in Delhi.”
"Web series is meant for across cities, including Delhi. Memes are against me qua people in Delhi," Sethi said in the court.
He sought ₹2 crore in damages, to be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital, claiming the show portrayed him and anti-drug enforcement agencies in a false and malicious manner.
Senior Advocates Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi represented Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix, respectively.
The court, however, questioned Sethi on the cause of action. “Your plaint is not maintainable. I am rejecting your plaint,” the judge observed, adding that the case could have been considered if Wankhede had pleaded defamation across multiple jurisdictions, with Delhi being where the maximum damage occurred.
In his filing, Wankhede alleged that the show was deliberately conceptualised to malign him at a time when cases involving him and Aryan Khan remain pending before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai. He claimed the series unfairly targeted him and tarnished the image of enforcement agencies.
