SRK's Red Chillies Hits Back at Wankhede: Delhi Court Not the Right Place for Defamation Suit
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New Delhi: In a sharp retort, Red Chillies Entertainment, owned by Shah Rukh Khan, has told the Delhi High Court that a defamation suit filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede lacks jurisdiction. Wankhede had sought an interim injunction on the web series "The Ba***ds of Bollywood", alleging it to be defamatory. The production house, represented by senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, argued that the suit should have been filed in Mumbai, where Wankhede resides and the company is registered. Kaul claimed that Wankhede had created a "bogey of cause of action" in Delhi, where many people view the series and newspapers have reported on him. Red Chillies described the series as a "satire" that touches upon various controversies in the Bollywood industry, including nepotism, paparazzi culture, adultery, and struggles faced by newcomers, with undertones of satirical elements and parody. The company argued that such depiction is permitted in law as a legitimate form of artistic expression and social commentary. Wankhede, however, alleged that the defamatory content was created to settle personal scores with him and avenge the arrest of Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan in a 2021 drugs case. He sought ₹2 crore in damages, which he wants donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer patients. The high court has listed the matter for further arguments on Thursday. The case has significant implications for the freedom of expression and the power of the courts to regulate artistic content.
