Sameer Wankhede, IRS officer and former NCB official who led the 2021 arrest of Aryan Khan, has approached the Delhi High Court seeking a permanent injunction and ₹2 crore in damages against Netflix’s Bastards of Bollywood. He alleges the docuseries defames anti-drug agencies, disrespects national symbols, and misrepresents his role in the high-profile case.
In an official statement, Wankhede said: “Sameer Wankhede, IRS Officer, has filed a defamation suit before the Delhi High Court, seeking reliefs including a permanent and mandatory injunction, declaration, and damages against Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, the OTT platform Netflix, and others. The action arises from a false, malicious, and defamatory video produced by Red Chillies and streamed by Netflix as part of their series titled The Bastards of Bollywood.”
Sameer Wankhede, an Indian Revenue Service officer and former NCB official who arrested Aryan Khan in the 2021 drug case, has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking a permanent injunction against the recently released Netflix series Bastards of Bollywood, directed by Aaryan Khan. Wankhede claims the show presents a “misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies,” potentially undermining public trust in law enforcement institutions.
Wankhede is seeking ₹2 crore in damages from Shah Rukh Khan and Red Chillies Entertainment, the producers of Bastards of Bollywood, stating that the compensation will be donated to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital to support cancer patients’ treatment.
In his statement to the media, Wankhede noted that the case involving him and Aryan Khan remains pending and sub judice before the Hon’ble Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai. He further alleged that the Netflix series features a character making an obscene gesture—specifically, showing the middle finger—immediately after reciting the slogan “Satyamev Jayate,” which forms part of the National Emblem. According to Wankhede, this act constitutes a serious violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and may attract penal consequences under the law.
He also claimed that the series violates multiple provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), asserting that it seeks to provoke public outrage through obscene and offensive content that undermines national sentiment.
Depictions Presented in the Episode
In the first episode of The Bastards of Bollywood, a character seemingly based on Sameer Wankhede is shown outside a high-profile Bollywood party, ostensibly searching for individuals from the film industry “who are doing drugs.” The officer bursts into the glamorous event and confronts a man smoking a joint. However, upon learning that the individual has no ties to Bollywood, he dismisses him without consequence. Moments later, he encounters another man—this time a Bollywood insider—who is merely sipping a drink. Despite not engaging in any illegal activity, the man is promptly arrested, highlighting a biased approach toward film industry figures.
Sameer Wankhede Led Aryan Khan’s Arrest in the 2021 Drug Case
Aryan Khan was at the center of a high-profile case involving former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede. In 2021, Khan was arrested aboard a cruise ship on allegations of drug possession and consumption. The case later took a dramatic turn when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) accused Wankhede of attempting to extort ₹25 crore from the Khan family in exchange for leniency. According to the CBI, Wankhede and his associates demanded the bribe, with ₹50 lakh allegedly paid as an initial amount. Wankhede has denied all allegations.
Jyoti Gupta 
Harsh Kumar