The release of Aryan Khan’s directorial debut, The Bads of Bollywood, has stirred legal trouble just days after premiering on Netflix. Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede, best known for leading the 2021 cruise ship drug raid that saw Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan jailed, has filed a defamation suit against Red Chillies Entertainment and the streaming platform. At the heart of the case is a scene many believe is a direct jab at Wankhede, reviving the high-profile controversy that once shook the Hindi film industry.
The Alleged Scene
In the first episode of the series, actor Lakshya attends a glamorous film party. The mood shifts when a stern officer emerges from a police van and announces, “I will raid this venue today.” He punctuates his entry with “Satyamev Jayate,” a phrase Wankhede often used in his public statements and social media posts during Aryan Khan’s case.
The officer then confronts a man smoking, declaring, “I am part of the war against drugs. I am part of the wall against drugs. I am part of NCG.” The acronym is seen as a thinly veiled stand-in for the NCB.
When the smoker brushes him off, the officer notices a Bollywood actor nearby and accuses him of associating with drug users. “How can you stand next to a man who is smoking a joint?” he asks, before slapping the actor and ordering his arrest. The sequence ends with him muttering, “Ye Bollywood vale bhi na…”
Another contentious moment shows a character making an obscene gesture right after uttering “Satyamev Jayate.” Wankhede argues this scene not only mirrors his persona but also disrespects India’s national emblem and violates the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
Wankhede’s Legal Claims
Wankhede has approached the Delhi High Court seeking a permanent injunction, damages, and a declaration that the series is defamatory. His petition states the show “disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions.”
He is demanding Rs 2 crore in damages, which he says should be donated to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for the treatment of cancer patients. He has also alleged violations of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, pointing to “obscene, offensive material intended to provoke and outrage national sentiment.”
According to him, the content was “deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign” his reputation, especially since the Aryan Khan case is still pending before the Bombay High Court and NDPS Special Court.
The 2021 Aryan Khan Case
The controversy reopens old wounds from one of Bollywood’s most discussed scandals. In October 2021, the NCB detained Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant, and Munmun Dhamecha in a raid aboard a cruise ship. The agency alleged drug possession and consumption, taking nearly 20 people into custody. Aryan spent 25 days in jail before securing bail.
The case dominated headlines, with Wankhede in the spotlight. However, the officer later faced allegations of extortion and was removed from the probe. He has repeatedly defended his conduct. In one interview, he described Aryan’s arrest as “the smallest case of my career – a microorganism in the room.” In another, he insisted, “Neither am I scared of anything, nor am I hiding anything. There is a lot to share and talk, but there is a code of conduct, due to which I can’t discuss.”
When asked about a dialogue from Shah Rukh Khan’s 2023 film Jawan that many interpreted as a dig at him – “Bete ko haath lagane se pehle baap se baat kar” – Wankhede dismissed speculation. “I don’t want to take names and make anyone famous. The case is with the High Court, so I cannot comment on that,” he told The Gaurav Thakur Show.
Industry and Public Reactions
The timing of Aryan Khan’s debut project and the inclusion of the disputed scene has intensified debate. Supporters of Wankhede argue that art cannot cross into character assassination, especially when court proceedings are ongoing. Others insist the sequence falls within creative freedom, portraying a fictionalized version of events that shaped Bollywood in recent years.
For now, the Delhi High Court will decide whether the series crossed the line. What is clear is that The Ba**ds of Bollywood has ensured Aryan Khan’s directorial debut enters the cultural conversation with as much controversy as cinematic curiosity.
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