Actor Ashish Kumar, who appears as a narcotics officer in Aryan Khan's directorial debut The Ba***ds of Bollywood, has spoken up amid the controversy surrounding his role. The Netflix series, which premiered earlier this month, has not only sparked debates but also soared in popularity, becoming the fourth-most-watched non-English series worldwide in its release week.
What's Happening
- Ashish Kumar took to Instagram to acknowledge the overwhelming response to his brief yet impactful role. Fans flooded his comments with praise, calling him "the MVP of the whole show" and lauding his performance with remarks like "Small role, big impact."
- While many celebrated his act, some viewers also hinted at similarities between his character and former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede. One user joked, "Bhai Woh Dhoondh raha he (brother they are looking for you)." When Ashish asked, "who," the reply came, "Sameer, jiska role kiya (Sameer, whom you played)," to which the actor simply responded with a laugh emoji.
- Another comment read, "Acted so good the real one got offended and tried to sue for defamation." In response to a fan saying, "You acted just like the real officer," Ashish replied calmly, "Thank you, bro. I tried my best."
Background
The controversy stems from allegations by Sameer Wankhede, who previously led the 2021 arrest of Aryan Khan. Wankhede has filed a defamation suit against Aryan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Netflix, arguing that the series portrays a narcotics officer modeled after him and defames enforcement agencies.
However, the Delhi High Court last week found Wankhede's petition "not maintainable," offering relief to the makers. Despite the dispute, Aryan Khan's satire on the Hindi film industry has gained traction for its bold storytelling and irreverent tone.
The series boasts a notable ensemble cast including Lakshya, Sahher Bambba, Bobby Deol, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, Manoj Pahwa, and Mona Singh.
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