7 months ago
1
OTT level Netflix connected Thursday (November 27, 2025) opposed successful the Delhi High Court a plea by IRS serviceman Sameer Wankhede seeking an interim injunction connected the bid "The Ba***ds of Bollywood", saying the amusement exposes Bollywood civilization satire and acheronian drama and can't beryllium injuncted successful defamation suit.
Mr. Wankhede has sought that the series, which helium has alleged to beryllium defamatory, is taken down from respective websites.
Netflix said the serviceman should not beryllium oversensitive astir a one-and-a half-minute satire country erstwhile helium himself admits it is satire.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav was told by elder advocator Rajiv Nayar, who appeared for Netflix, that the threshold of defamation successful specified cases is precise precocious which cannot beryllium proved astatine an interlocutory signifier and the plaintiff has to beryllium it during the proceedings lone erstwhile helium volition get damages.
"Merely showing that the amusement is by Shah Rukh Khan's lad Aryan Khan is not enough. He has to transverse the threshold of proving malice," the lawyer argued.
He said the taxable of the bid is that it exposes "bad ways of Bollywood" and everybody has been painted with immoderate broadside of parody oregon satire.
"When the bid is viewed arsenic a whole, it is simply a wide lampooning of Bollywood. This is the theme. The taxable is to exposure Bollywood and its workings," the lawyer said.
The tribunal listed the substance for December 2 for proceeding rejoinder submissions of Mr. Wankhede's lawyer. The tribunal besides asked him to record his written submissions.
Shah Rukh Khan-owned Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd, the accumulation house, has besides opposed Mr. Wankhede's plea saying the suit lacked territorial jurisdiction and the serviceman was indulging successful forum shopping.
The accumulation location had contended that alternatively of Delhi, it should person been filed successful Mumbai arsenic Mr. Wankhede resides determination and adjacent the company's registered bureau is successful Mumbai.
In its reply to Mr. Wankhede's interim application, suspect Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd said the bid was a "satire" and specified depiction is permitted successful instrumentality arsenic a morganatic signifier of creator look and societal commentary.
On the contented of the series, Red Chillies said that the amusement touches upon assorted controversies successful the Bollywood industry, specified arsenic nepotism, paparazzi culture, adultery, and struggles faced by newcomers with undertones of satirical elements and parody.
Mr. Wankhede, successful his rejoinder to Red Chillies, said the "defamatory content" was created to settee idiosyncratic scores with him and avenge the apprehension of Shah Rukh Khan's lad Aryan Khan successful a 2021 drugs case.
He said the series, written and directed by Aryan Khan, was orchestrated to people and malign him.
Mr. Wankhede has sued Red Chillies and Netflix for defamation and sought ₹2 crore successful damages, which helium wants donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for crab patients.
On October 8, the High Court issued notices and summons to Red Chillies Entertainment Private Limited, Netflix, X Corp (formerly Twitter), Google LLC, Meta Platforms, RPSG Lifestyle Media Private Limited, and John Doe successful the defamation suit and asked them to record their replies wrong 7 days.
The plea submitted that the bid disseminates a misleading and antagonistic portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, eroding nationalist assurance successful instrumentality enforcement institutions.
The plea claimed that the bid depicts a quality making an obscene motion — specifically, showing a mediate digit — aft the quality recites the slogan "Satyamev Jayate", which is portion of the National Emblem.
This enactment constitutes a sedate and delicate usurpation of the provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which attracts penal consequences nether law, it said.
