Wankhede claimed that a character in the series was based on him and was portrayed negatively. He claimed that a government officer's character bore an uncanny resemblance to him in terms of looks, speech, and his catchphrase "Satyamev Jayate." He said it was a "premeditated, targeted campaign" to mock him.
Red Chillies defended the series, stating that The Ba***ds of Bollywood is a situational satire that neither names nor depicts Wankhede and contains no defamatory content. Opposing the injunction, the production house described the defamation suit as "wholly misconceived, untenable in law, and devoid of merit." They added that Wankhede's image "was already the subject of public ridicule...well before the release of the said series."