NHRC orders probe against Ranbir Kapoor’s vaping scene in Ba***ds of Bollywood

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an Action Taken Report from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and Mumbai Police over a complaint against Netflix’s web series ‘Ba***ds of Bollywood’. The complainant alleged actor Ranbir Kapoor was shown using a banned e-cigarette without warnings, misleading young viewers.

According to plaintiff Vinay Joshi, Legal Rights Observatory, “Netflix web series, titled ‘Bads of Bollywood’ (season 1, episode 7), showed a well-known actor, Ranbir Kapoor, using a banned e-cigarette on screen, without any warning or disclaimer.”

Joshi further alleged that this scene was streamed openly, which misled or negatively influenced young viewers by promoting the use of such banned substances. He expressed concerns that such irresponsible content promotes illegal activities, disrespects law enforcement, and harms public health and morality. The plaintiff sought the intervention of the commission and requested strict legal action against the actors, producers, and Netflix for violating Indian laws and spreading harmful content.

The Bench of the NHRC, presided by Priyank Kanoongo has taken cognizance u/s 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, in the matter.

Furthermore, this incident is in clear violation of Sections 4 read with Section 7 of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019. It is pertinent to mention here that Section 4 prohibits the storage, use, and promotion of e-cigarettes in any form, and Section 7 penalises individuals and companies that advertise or promote such banned products.

The NHRC has issued a notice to the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, urging immediate steps to prohibit such content that may wrongly influence the younger generation.

It has also asked the commissioner of police, Mumbai, to investigate the identity and operations of e-cigarette manufacturers and importers linked to the case. The commissioner has been directed to submit an action report within two weeks.

The Ba***ds of Bollywood marks Aryan Khan’s first project as a director and creator, co-written alongside Bilal Siddiqi and Manav Chauhan. The series is set to stream from September 18, 2025 on the streaming giant, Netflix.

The OTT series presents a genre-bending narrative and also features cameos from the biggest stars of Hindi cinema including Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, and Karan Johar, among others.