Aryan Khan's directorial debut, The Ba*ds Of Bollywood, released on Netflix on Thursday, and one particular sequence from the first episode has stirred controversy for its apparent resemblance to former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede, who had arrested Aryan in a 2021 drug case.
The scene, which has gone viral on social media, shows the show's lead actor, Lakshya, attending a film party when a stern officer steps out of a police van and declares, "I will raid this venue today."
The character further adds, "Satyamev Jayate," a phrase Wankhede often used while addressing Aryan's case on X (formerly Twitter).
The sequence continues with the officer spotting a man smoking and lecturing him, saying, "I am a part of the war against drugs. I am part of the wall against drugs. I am part of NCG (likely a stand-in for the NCB)."
However, when the smoker dismisses him, saying he is not part of Bollywood, the officer appears frustrated. The smoker then points towards an actor and says that "he's from Bollywood". The officer then notices the actor and questions, "How can you stand next to a man who is smoking a joint?" before slapping him and ordering his team to arrest the actor. As the arrest is made, he says, "Ye Bollywood vale bhi na (These Bollywood people na...)."
How Has Sameer Wankhede Reacted?
Ex-NCB officer Sameer Wankhede has now taken legal action. He has filed a defamation suit before the Delhi High Court against Red Chillies Entertainment, owned by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, along with Netflix and other parties.
The petition seeks relief in the form of a permanent and mandatory injunction, a declaration, and damages over what Wankhede alleges is a "false, malicious, and defamatory" portrayal in the series.
He has claimed damages amounting to Rs 2 crore, which he has proposed to donate to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for the treatment of cancer patients.
According to the petition, the show "disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions." Wankhede has argued that the series was "deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign" his reputation, particularly as the case involving him and Aryan Khan is still pending before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.
The petition also objects to a scene in which a character is shown making an obscene gesture, raising the middle finger immediately after uttering "Satyamev Jayate," part of India's National Emblem.
Wankhede contends that this act "constitutes a grave and sensitive violation of the provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which attracts penal consequences under law."
In addition, the officer has alleged that the content violates provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) by including "obscene, offensive material intended to provoke and outrage national sentiment."
About Aryan Khan's Arrest
The scene has sparked fresh discussion of Aryan's 2021 arrest. For the unversed, Aryan Khan, along with Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, was arrested by the NCB and charged with possession, consumption, and sale/purchase of banned drugs.
They were among 20 people taken into custody after the agency raided a cruise ship and claimed to have seized contraband. Aryan spent 25 days in jail before being granted bail. Wankhede was later removed from the case following allegations of blackmail.
In past interviews, Wankhede had spoken indirectly about the case. Asked about a line in Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan - "Bete ko haath lagane se pehle baap se baat kar (Before touching my son, talk to the father)" - being seen as an indirect hint at him, Wankhede said on The Gaurav Thakur Show, "Dekhiye mein kisi ka naam leke kisi ko famous nahi karna chahta hoon. Jo chats leak vagairah hein woh honourable High Court ke saame hain toh uspe koi tippani nahi dena chahunga main (I don't want to take names and make anyone famous. Whatever the chat leaks happened the case is with the High Court, so I cannot comment on that)."
In another interview, he had described the Aryan case as "the smallest" of his career. "I would rather think it as one of the smallest cases of my career - a microorganism in the room. I don't want to give it so much importance, or waste my time talking about it. The matter is currently in the court and I don't want to comment on it. I just want to say, neither am I scared of anything, nor am I hiding anything. The only reason I avoid talking about it is because I have given an affidavit in the court that I will not speak about the case. There is a lot to share and talk, but there is a code of conduct, due to which I can't discuss. Once the court will pass its verdict, I will surely speak about it in detail," he said.
Background
The Ba***ds Of Bollywood is produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and stars Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Sahher Bambba, Mona Singh, Anya Singh, Manoj Pahwa, Gautami Kapoor, and Bobby Deol.
Also Read: Sameer Wankhede vs Aryan Khan's 'Ba***ds Of Bollywood', SRK In High Court
