The Delhi High Court has dismissed a suit filed by Sameer Wankhede, a former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer, against Netflix and Red Chillies Entertainment, Shah Rukh Khan's production house, concerning his portrayal in the series "The Ba***ds of Bollywood". The court stated it lacked the jurisdiction to hear the matter and directed Wankhede to present his case before a court with the appropriate jurisdiction.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav stated, "This court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the plaint. The same is therefore returned to be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction". The detailed verdict is still awaited.

Wankhede's suit sought the removal of specific content from the series' first episode, arguing that a character in the series closely resembled him in appearance and mannerisms. He specifically targeted the content between the 32:02 and 33:50 timestamps.

The series "The Ba***ds of Bollywood" is directed by Aryan Khan, son of Shah Rukh Khan, who was arrested by Wankhede in 2021 during an NCB raid on a cruise ship. Aryan Khan was later exonerated in 2022.

Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix opposed the suit, contending that the Delhi High Court lacked the territorial jurisdiction to consider the defamation suit. Their lawyers, Neeraj Kishan Kaul and Rajiv Nayyar, argued that the case should have been filed in Mumbai, where Wankhede resides and where the film production company's registered office is located. Kaul argued that the episode portrays a fictional story during a Bollywood party and is not a recreation of the cruise raid. Nayyar added that the mere fact that Aryan Khan, with whom Wankhede has a history, directed the series does not establish malice justifying the removal of portions from the series.

Wankhede's counsel, Jai Sai Deepak, argued that the suit was maintainable in Delhi because the principal harm occurred there. He submitted that even though Wankhede does not reside in Delhi, the departmental proceedings concerning Wankhede were pending in Delhi. He further argued that media houses that published articles against Wankhede are based in Delhi. Deepak sought the removal of the allegedly defamatory content, asserting that its continued availability was causing irreparable harm to Wankhede.

The court had framed two key issues for consideration: whether the suit was maintainable in Delhi and whether the series' depiction crossed the limits of artistic expression, causing actionable harm to Wankhede's reputation.

The dismissal of the suit offers relief to Aryan Khan and the producers of "The Ba***ds of Bollywood," potentially allowing the show to proceed without further legal challenges from this particular case. The court has clarified that Wankhede is free to approach a court with appropriate jurisdiction.