Sameer Wankhede responds to Shah Rukh Khan's 'Red Chillies': No character in Aryan's series is based on a real person, should not be considered defamatory

Shah Rukh Khan's company Red Chillies Entertainment has filed its reply in the Delhi High Court on the defamation petition filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede. The Red Chillies argued in court that the show was satire and parody. The company argued that the characters featured in the show are not based on real people, so they cannot be considered defamatory. Wankhede had filed a defamation suit against him for his alleged role in the Netflix series 'The Bads of Bollywood'. The show is directed by Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and is produced by Red Chillies and streams on Netflix. According to a report by LiveLaw, the company said in its response, "The scene in question is only 1 minute and 48 seconds long. It just portrays a police officer as overly enthusiastic. The company had argued that the content falls under the purview of freedom of art and expression, which is protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. He argued that such content can be blocked or censored only if it falls within the grounds laid down in Section 19(2). Red Chillies said Wankhede is a government official and should handle criticism and creative expression with respect. "The show highlights various aspects of the Bollywood industry such as nepotism, paparazzi culture, adultery and the difficulties faced by new actors in a humorous and exaggerated manner. Red Chillies says, "Since this is a satirical series, all the characters have been deliberately shown to be a little overdone. These characters are made to make people laugh, think, and draw attention to social issues. "Over-the-top drama in satire is a piece of art — its purpose is to entertain and provoke thought, not to tarnish someone's image," the company said. The matter was heard by a bench headed by Justice Purushendra Kumar Kaurav. The court directed all the parties to file their written replies by November 10. What is the whole matter? Sameer Wankhede has filed a lawsuit seeking Rs 2 crore in damages for defaming him through the show 'The Bads of Bollywood'. He claims that the portrayal of a police officer in the show damages his image, especially since his and Aryan Khan's case is currently going on in the Bombay High Court and NDPS Special Court. The Wankhede has filed the case against Shah Rukh Khan's company Red Chillies and Netflix. He said that if he gets compensation, he will donate the entire amount to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital. Sameer Wankhede made headlines in 2021 after the arrest of Aryan Khan in the cruise drugs case. The case was discussed across the country.