Netflix told the Delhi High Court that Aryan Khan’s show is a satirical exposure of Bollywood’s inner workings and not a personal attack on Sameer Wankhede. It argued that a 1.5-minute parody does not amount to defamation.
Netflix has told the Delhi High Court that Aryan Khan’s web series Ba***ds of Bollywood is a satirical show that highlights and exposes the internal functioning of the Bollywood film industry, and that former Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede should not take offence over a short one-and-a-half-minute sequence shown in the series.
During the hearing held on Thursday, Netflix, which is the Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming platform airing the show, strongly defended the content of the series.
Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar, appearing for Netflix, explained before the Court that the show uses humour and satire to show the realities and darker sides of Bollywood.
He pointed out that several well-known personalities have been portrayed in a self-aware and humorous manner, with Karan Johar making jokes about himself, Imran Hashmi playing an intimacy coach, and conversations touching on sensitive but real issues like drug abuse, MeToo, casting couch, nepotism, and the ongoing insider versus outsider debate in the film industry.
He argued that the overall theme of the show is not to target any single person but to expose the unhealthy practices and problematic culture that exist in Bollywood.
As he stated,
“Everybody has been painted with some side of parody or satire. When the series is viewed as a whole, it is a broad lampooning of Bollywood… This is the theme. Actually, the theme is to expose Bollywood and its workings,”
Nayar submitted before the Court.
The matter is being heard by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, who is dealing with the defamation case filed by Sameer Wankhede. Wankhede has claimed that he has been wrongly and negatively portrayed in the show, which he believes damages his reputation.
The series has been produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s production company, Red Chillies Entertainment, and is currently streaming on Netflix.
At present, the High Court is considering Wankhede’s application seeking interim relief, which means temporary relief until the final decision is made.
During his arguments, Nayar also referred to various interviews and public statements given by Wankhede in the past, where the former NCB officer openly spoke about facing media attention and criticism without being affected.
Referring to these statements, Nayar told the Court,
“The plaintiff [Wankhede] says he is not bothered. He says I am broad-chested. The plaintiff says my shoulders are broad enough to handle any criticism. If he enjoys that, why does he get sensitive about 1.5 minutes of the satire or parody,”
questioning why Wankhede was now objecting to such a brief satirical depiction.
He further clarified that the past incident in which Aryan Khan was arrested by Wankhede in a drug bust case does not automatically prove that the show was created with malicious intent.
According to Nayar, personal history alone cannot establish that Aryan Khan acted out of revenge or ill will while creating the content.
He added,
“At the highest, his case is that Aryan Khan spoke out of dislike or ill will towards him. Even then, he does not waive the threshold of malice,”
stating that even if dislike is assumed, it still does not meet the legal standard required to prove defamation.
After Nayar completed his submissions, the Court asked Sameer Wankhede to submit details of all legal proceedings he has initiated or that are currently pending against him. This information is expected to help the Court assess the broader context of the case.
The matter will be taken up again on December 2, when Wankhede’s counsel, Senior Advocate J Sai Deepak, will present his rejoinder arguments, responding to the points raised by Netflix and its senior counsel.
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