Red Chillies Entertainment Denies Defamation Allegations in Delhi High Court

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Red Chillies Entertainment, owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, has defended its web series 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood' against defamation allegations filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede. The production house argues that while the show draws inspiration from overzealous officers, it does not depict or reference the Cordelia cruise case. In a Delhi High Court hearing, senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, representing Red Chillies, said that satire and fiction can coexist and that the show is not a documentary about the Cordelia cruise incident. Kaul claimed that Wankhede is sensitive to criticism and that the show is meant to depict issues ailing the Bollywood industry. Wankhede had filed a defamation suit against Aryan Khan and his father, Shah Rukh Khan, in September, alleging that a particular scene in the show mocks him and contains false and defamatory content. However, Red Chillies argues that the show is a work of fiction and that it is not responsible for what other people say. The court will hear arguments from Netflix on Thursday. The case revolves around the Cordelia cruise case, in which Aryan Khan was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in October 2021, led by ex-Zonal officer Sameer Wankhede. Aryan was later given a clean chit in the drugs case. Red Chillies' counsel stressed that the show is about 20 different issues and that it is not a documentary about the Cordelia cruise incident. He added that the show is meant to depict issues ailing the Bollywood industry and that it is not responsible for what other people say. The case highlights the tension between freedom of expression and defamation laws in India. Red Chillies' defense is that satire and fiction can coexist, and that the show is not a documentary about the Cordelia cruise incident. The court will hear further arguments on Thursday.