Delhi court flags bias in Sameer Wankhede’s depiction in The Ba*****S of Bollywood

During a hearing on the case filed by former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede against Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, and actor AryanKhan, the court observed that there appeared to be ‘some bias’ in the way Wankhede’s character was portrayed in the web series, as per reports.

In court, the advocate representing Red Chillies Entertainment defended the production house, arguing that creative writing can be inspired by any personality. If this becomes the benchmark, tomorrow every producer or paparazzo may claim that a character resembles them, the lawyer mentioned.

The counsel also cited cartoonist R K Laxman’s satirical depictions of prime ministers. However, the court noted that Laxman’s work was not biased, whereas the portrayal in the web series must be viewed in light of the past history between Sameer Wankhede and Aryan Khan.

The lawsuit names Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd, Netflix, X Corp (formerly Twitter), Google LLC, Meta Platforms, RPG Lifestyle Media Pvt Ltd, and unidentified ‘John Doe’ parties as defendants.

Wankhede has alleged that the series contains deliberately biased and defamatory material about him. He said the real-life case involving him and Aryan Khan is still pending before the Bombay High Court and a special NDPS court in Mumbai, yet the show depicts events in a distorted and prejudicial manner.

He also pointed out a scene in which a character modelled on him says ‘Satyamev Jayate and immediately afterwards makes an obscene gesture. Wankhede argued that this insults the national motto, which forms part of the national emblem, and constitutes an offence under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

Wankhede has sought ₹2 crore in damages, stating that the entire amount would be donated to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for the treatment of cancer patients. The suit seeks a permanent and mandatory injunction against the production house and digital platforms to restrain them from broadcasting what he describes as “false, malicious, and defamatory” content.

He has further alleged that the series violates provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Indian Penal Code by using obscene and objectionable material that could hurt national sentiments.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)