Delhi High Court: Netflix Opposes Wankhede’s Plea Against ‘The Ba*ds of Bollywood’**

New Delhi, Nov 27 — The streaming giant Netflix on Thursday opposed a plea filed by former IRS officer Sameer Wankhede in the Delhi High Court seeking an interim injunction on the web series The Ba**ds of Bollywood*. The officer has alleged that the show — created by Red Chillies Entertainment — is defamatory and portrays him in a negative light, demanding that the series be taken down from all platforms.

Netflix’s counsel argued before the court that the contested portion of the series is a work of satire and dark comedy, and as such cannot be restrained merely on defamation grounds. The platform urged that an entire series cannot be injuncted on the basis of a short scene — especially one running only around one and a half minutes.

Red Chillies Entertainment — which co-owns the show — also pressed the court to dismiss the suit, calling it “wholly misconceived” and legally untenable. They argued that the series does not mention Wankhede by name or identify him explicitly. In its reply, the company rejected the claim that the episode at issue defames the officer, stating that its depiction is satirical, parodic, and part of broader commentary on Bollywood culture.

The production house also challenged the maintainability of the suit in Delhi, noting that Wankhede resides in Mumbai and the company’s registered office is also in Mumbai — thereby questioning the territorial jurisdiction of the case. The lawyer for Red Chillies described Wankhede’s filing in Delhi as “forum shopping.”

Wankhede’s plea seeks permanent injunctions, removal of the alleged defamatory content from the series, and damages of ₹2 crore — which he has said he would donate to a cancer-treatment hospital. He asserts that the series was “deliberately conceptualised and executed” to tarnish his reputation, especially in light of ongoing legal proceedings involving him and the lead actor’s family.

The matter is now slated for further hearing, with the court expected to examine both the substance of the alleged defamation and whether Delhi is the appropriate venue for the suit.