SRK's Counsel Hits Back At Sameer Wankhede In Defamation Suit, Says Show Isn't A 'Cordelia Cruise..'

Sameer Wankhede's defamation lawsuit against Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment has been going on for months now, and with each new court hearing, it seems things are heating up way more than before. For those unversed, IRS officer, Sameer Wankhede, filed the suit because of a web series on Netflix, The B***ds of Bollywood, directed by Shah Rukh's son, Aryan Khan. In the series, he claimed that a character was clearly inspired by him, severely damaging his reputation, especially because it portrays his connection to the 2021 Cordelia Cruise investigation involving Aryan Khan. However, in the latest hearing of the defamation suit, the production house's counsel clarified that the show does not reference the Cordelia case at all.  

Red Chillies Entertainment defended itself against Sameer Wankhede's claims 

On November 26, 2025, during the most recent hearing of the defamation case that has been capturing all the headlines, Red Chillies Entertainment's counsel hit back with all they had against Sameer Wankhede's accusations. Senior advocate, Neeraj Kishan Kaul on behalf of the production house, told Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav that satire and fiction can co-exist. He asked:

“Can satire and fiction co-exist? There is no law that it cannot co-exist. I may be partly inspired by real persons and stories, yet there can be disclaimers; no problem with two existing together. Where is the ill-will or malice? This is about a success story in a Bollywood party.” 

He further highlighted how the show in question is not a documentary on the Cordelia Cruise incident. Instead, he argued that the series is about 20 different incidents. He stated:

"We are not looking at people who are sensitive; hurt is not ground for malice. Can you pick a stray instance, a passage here or there? The series is about 20 different issues. We do not show a documentary on the Cordelia cruise incident. I am inspired by overzealous officers. That is far from saying that this is the Cordelia cruise story." 

What happened in the Cordelia case incident? 

It all started a few years back in October 2021, when Aryan Khan's name got linked to a high-profile drug case during which the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) stormed into a rave party aboard the Cordelia Empress cruise ship. Aryan Khan was one of the people who was arrested by the NCB on the ship that was sailing for Goa off the coast of Mumbai. This infamous raid was led by none other than former NCB zonal officer, Sameer Wankhede. Following his arrest, Aryan Khan served more than three weeks in jail. However, later, the director was cleared of all narcotics charges.

In the present court case, Senior advocate, Neeraj Kishan Kaul claimed that Wankhede has been enjoying giving media interviews following the Netflix show's release. He also made it clear that it is not his intention to mock Wankhede in any way. Additionally, in a statement he made on behalf of Red Chillies Entertainment, he said:

"You cannot say that the person depicting ills in Bollywood cannot show overzealous officers. I cannot be responsible for what other people say… I am fully entitled to depict issues ailing Bollywood. Even if I am to project someone, a public official cannot be that thin-skinned." 

Do you also agree with Red Chillies Entertainment’s counsel? Let us know. 

Also read: 'Public Divorce, Raising Two Children Alone..' Karisma Kapoor Finds Support In Ex-Husband's Sister

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