Sacred Games (TV series)

Last updated

Sacred Games
Sacred Games Title.png
Series logo
Genre
Created by Vikramaditya Motwane
Based on Sacred Games
by Vikram Chandra
Written by
  • Varun Grover
  • Vasant Nath
  • Smita Singh
  • Prakhar Sharma
  • Dhruv Narang
  • Nihit Bhave
  • Pooja Tolani
Directed by
Starring
Theme music composer Alokananda Dasgupta
ComposersSongs:
Phenom
Divine
Rachita Arora
Background score:
Alokananda Dasgupta
Country of originIndia
Original languageHindi
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes16 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Kelly Luegenbiehl
  • Erik Barmack
  • Vikramaditya Motwane
  • Vikram Chandra
  • Anurag Kashyap⁣
  • Varun Grover⁣
Production locationIndia
CinematographySwapnil S. Sonawane
Sylvester Fonseca
Aseem Bajaj
Editor Aarti Bajaj
Running time43–58 minutes
Production companies Phantom Films
Reliance Entertainment
Original release
Network Netflix
Release6 July 2018 (2018-07-06) –
15 August 2019 (2019-08-15)

Sacred Games is an Indian neo-noir crime thriller television series based on Vikram Chandra's 2006 novel of the same name. Produced and directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap under the banner of Phantom Films, it is India's first Netflix original series. The novel was adapted by Varun Grover, Smita Singh, and Vasant Nath. Kelly Luegenbiehl, Erik Barmack and Motwane were the series' executive producers.

Contents

The series follows Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan), a troubled police officer in Mumbai who receives a phone call from gangster Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), warning him to save the city within 25 days. As the series unfolds, it chronicles the intense events that follow this ominous call. Other cast members include Radhika Apte, Girish Kulkarni, Neeraj Kabi, Jeetendra Joshi, Rajshri Deshpande, Karan Wahi, Sukhmani Sadana, Aamir Bashir, Jatin Sarna, Elnaaz Norouzi, Pankaj Tripathi, Amey Wagh, Kubbra Sait, Surveen Chawla, Kalki Koechlin, Ranvir Shorey and Amruta Subhash.

Sacred Games began development after Netflix vice-president Erik Barmack asked Motwane in 2014 to create Indian content for the platform. They decided to adapt Chandra's novel in Hindi. After a script was completed, Motwane asked Kashyap to co-direct; Motwane directed the scenes with Singh, and Kashyap directed Gaitonde's scenes. Swapnil Sonawane was director of photography for Motwane; Sylvester Fonseca and Aseem Bajaj filmed the scenes directed by Kashyap. In the second season, Motwane reduced his involvement to showrunner and was replaced as director by Neeraj Ghaywan. Aarti Bajaj was the editor, and Alokananda Dasgupta composed the background score.

The first season of Sacred Games consisting of eight episodes was released on Netflix on 5 July 2018 in 191 countries. The series is subtitled in over 20 languages. It received mostly positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for its performances and writing. The first season is the only Indian series to appear on The New York Times ' "The 30 Best International TV Shows of the Decade" list. The second season premiered on 15 August 2019, met with a mixed response.

Overview

Sartaj Singh is a troubled Mumbai Police inspector who seeks validation from a police force he hates for its corruption. He receives a phone call from Ganesh Gaitonde, a notorious crime lord who has been missing for 16 years. He tells Sartaj to save the city in 25 days, beginning a chain of events that burrows deep into India's underworld. On his journey, Sartaj is helped by Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer Anjali Mathur; flashbacks detail Gaitonde's origins, and how he became Mumbai's crime lord. The first season follows Sartaj as he tries to uncover clues about Gaitonde's past and learns about a connection between Gaitonde and his father. [1]

In season two, Gaitonde's story continues in flashbacks while Sartaj tries to find answers. Sartaj discovers an ashram to which his father once belonged, and learns about their apocalyptic plans to create a new, conflict-free world. Gaitonde's meeting with Khanna Guruji, how he became part of the ashram, and his activities with them are depicted in flashbacks. Also explored is how Gaitonde was deployed in Kenya by Kusum Devi Yadav –a RAW officer who tries to keep Gaitonde's archenemy Suleiman Isa alive so she can capture and kill Shahid Khan, a dangerous extremist who turns out to be Sartaj's cousin and harbors a plan (with the ashram) to wipe out India.

Cast

ActorCharacterSeasons
12
Saif Ali Khan Inspector Sartaj Singh Main
Nawazuddin Siddiqui Ganesh Gaitonde Main
Radhika Apte Anjali Mathur Main Does not appear
Pankaj Tripathi Khanna Guruji Recurring Main
Kalki Koechlin Batya AbelmanDoes not appear Main
Ranvir Shorey Shahid KhanDoes not appear Main
Neeraj Kabi DCP Dilip Parulkar Recurring
Jatin Sarna Deepak "Bunty" Shinde Recurring
Kubra Sait Kukoo Recurring Does not appear
Jitendra Joshi Constable Ashok Katekar Recurring Does not appear
Rajshri Deshpande Subhadra Recurring Does not appear
Elnaaz Norouzi Zoya Mirza/Jamila Recurring
Luke Kenny Malcolm Mourad Recurring
Aamir Bashir Inspector Majid Ali Khan Recurring
Geetanjali Thapa Nayanika Sehgal Recurring Does not appear
Surveen Chawla Jojo Mascarenas Recurring
Shalini Vatsa Kanta Bai Recurring
Amruta Subhash Kusum Devi YadavDoes not appear Recurring
Girish Kulkarni Bipin Bhosale Recurring
Anupriya Goenka Megha Singh Recurring
Affan Khan Young Sartaj Singh Recurring
Sunny Pawar Young Ganesh Gaitonde Recurring
Danish Pandor Bada Badariya Recurring
Anil Mange Chota Badariya Recurring
Vikram Kochar Mathu Recurring
Samir Kochhar ACIO Markand Recurring
Chittaranjan Tripathy Trivedi Recurring
Rajendra ShisatkaASI Dhobale Recurring
Sukhmani Sadana Mikki Recurring
Muni JhaParitosh Shah Recurring Does not appear
Karan Wahi Karan Malhotra Recurring Does not appear
Rajveer Singh RajputRaw Agent Recurring Does not appear
Nawab Shah Salim Kaka Recurring Does not appear
Saanand Verma [2] Purushottam BariaDoes not appear Recurring
Jaipreet SinghConstable Dilbagh Singh Recurring
Saurabh Sachdeva Suleiman Isa Recurring
Neha Shitole Shalini Katekar Recurring
Smita Tambe ATS Analyst RamaDoes not appear Recurring
Harshita Gaur Mary MascarenasDoes not appear Recurring
Priyanka SetiaHarsha BariaDoes not appear Recurring
Sandesh KulkarniGaitonde's Father Recurring
Vibhavari Deshpande Gaitonde's Mother Recurring Does not appear
Joy Sengupta MathurDoes not appear Recurring
Amey Wagh KushalDoes not appear Recurring
Jaimin PanchalGaitonde's BrotherDoes not appear Recurring
Sharik KhanVikashDoes not appear Recurring

Episodes

SeriesEpisodesOriginally released
186 July 2018 (2018-07-06)
2815 August 2019 (2019-08-15)

Production

Development

Netflix vice-president Erik Barmack came across Sacred Games , Vikram Chandra's 2006 crime novel, while the service was searching for Indian content for a global audience. Barmack called it "an interesting property", and decided to adapt it in Hindi. [3] In 2014, Netflix approached Phantom Films to produce a series; writer-director Vikramaditya Motwane met their team during a visit to Los Angeles. [4] Motwane had read Chandra's earlier novel, Love and Longing in Bombay, which introduces the character of Sartaj Singh. After the meeting, he read Sacred Games and thought it was "great". [5] Motwane said that the best thing for him was that Netflix wanted to produce the series in Hindi, rather than English: "Speaking in English can seem so fake at times." [3] He started working on the adaptation with writer Varun Grover, calling the writing process the "biggest challenge". [4]

Motwane found the web-series medium "liberating", since he could tell stories which "don't have to be told in two-and-a-half hours with an interval and three songs inserted into it." [6] Although he initially considered using different directors for each episode, "As we got closer to production, we realised that dates were clashing and that it was an overall nightmare [...]" [7] Motwane suggested that he and Anurag Kashyap co-direct the series, since he felt that the two "distinct voices" were essential for the two parallel tracks of the plot. Kashyap said that he "gobbled" up the opportunity as the novel had fascinated him. [4] In 2014, he was approached by AMC and Scott Free Productions to direct an English-language adaptation of the novel. [8] [9] Kashyap declined, since he did not want to do "anything based in India in English". [8] Motwane and his writers gave the scripts to Chandra for feedback: "Chandra is so research-intensive that we didn't have to approach another researcher, we just had to ask him questions." [7] The series was written by Grover, Smita Singh, and Vasant Nath. [10] Singh said that in 2016, they were told by Phantom Films that "it had to be a gripping slow-burner". [11] Research was directed by Smita Nair and Mantra Watsa, who summarised every chapter and made the "complex plot easily accessible" to the writers. [11] The series' script was completed in a year. [11] Nath said that in the beginning of the writing process, they were "chucking away some important characters from the original, and bringing in new ones". [11] Sacred Games is Netflix' first Indian original series. [4]

Its episode titles were inspired by Hindu mythology. The first episode, "Aswatthama", was based on the namesake character from the Mahabharata who was cursed with immortality by Krishna after the Kurukshetra War. In the series, Gaitonde calls himself immortal (like Ashwatthama) before he commits suicide. [12] "Halahala", the second episode, was named after a poison created from the churning of the sea. [12] Aatapi and Vatapi were two demons who tricked people with their nice behavior and killed them. [12] Brahmahatya (the killing of a brahmin) is a crime in Hinduism. In that episode, the Hindu Gaitonde agrees to attract Muslim votes for the Hindu politician Bhosale. [12] "Sarama" refers to as a dog. "Pretakalpa" refers to a Hindu text read at a funeral. In this episode, Katekar is killed and Sartaj cremates him. [12] Rudra is the angry version of Shiva. Gaitonde's wife Subhadra is killed in this episode, and he takes revenge by murdering her killers. [12] Yayati was a king who was cursed with premature old age. [12] The series' title sequence, logo, and title designs were designed by graphic designer Aniruddh Mehta and the Mumbai-based motion lab Plexus, who were inspired by Hindu mythology. Mehta said that each emblem was a contemporary take on "stories from ancient Hindu scriptures, mandalas, mixing modern design elements with characters from the Indus Valley Civilization". [13] The sequence also featured real footages of several events such as the demolition of the Babri Masjid. [14]

Several changes were made in adapting the novel as a series. Kukoo, a transgender woman, is mentioned in passing in the novel as a dancer with whom a police officer fell in love; a constable describes Kukoo to Sartaj as "beautiful as a Kashmiri apple". In the series, Kukoo is a prominent character as Gaitonde's love interest; [15] Malcolm Murad, mentioned once in the novel, has a prominent role in the series as an assassin. [15] A few other changes were made in the adaptation. The Bombay riots are prominent in the novel; in the series, they are briefly described by Gaitonde. [15]

Casting and characters

The series was Saif Ali Khan's first venture into television. Saif Ali Khan snapped at Imperial Hotel, New Delhi 05.jpg
The series was Saif Ali Khan's first venture into television.

Several characters in the series speak different Indian languages (Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi and Gujarati), and Kashyap cited that as giving a "real sense of what India is". [16] Saif Ali Khan, who plays the cop Sartaj Singh, called the series an experiment, and said he agreed to do it because "people are willing to watch programmes from other countries with sub-titles because good stories transcend boundaries." [17] Khan found an "interesting arc" in Singh, calling the character "troubled and honest". He said that he read portions of the novel, but stopped when he found that it was not helping him find what he needed as an actor. [6] Radhika Apte played Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer Anjali Mathur. Apte called her character a "completely no-nonsense, focused woman who's highly respected in her field and by her peers." [6] She said that her character was not glamourised (unlike Hindi film depictions of a RAW agent). [6] Kashyap said that the novel is about "how Bombay became Mumbai", and the series gives "a sense of the city, where it came from and where it is today." [18]

Nawazuddin Siddiqui said that he treated his role as a gangster like a human being. Siddiqui felt that a series provides more time for character exploration than a film, and wanted to try the format. [19] He called Gaitonde the most complex character he had played to date. [6] Khan read Chandra's short story, "Kama", to "delve into his character's angst." [16] Sartaj Singh's appearance was changed from tall and thin in the novel to muscular and heavier in the series. According to Khan, the change was made to make the character look "visually engaging" and a "slightly more charged-up version of the passive officer in the books". [16] Kashyap called Gaitonde the "sum of all we like in movie characters." [20] Motwane said that Siddiqui was his first choice to play Gaitonde because he "plays gangster so well" and "has that aura and almost everything that's required to play a gangster." [21] He said that casting popular actors like Khan and Siddiqui "drives a larger audience to watch." He said that it was easier to convince Apte and Neeraj Kabi for the roles after Khan and Siddiqui were cast. [7] Kabi was cast as DCP Parulkar, whom he researched in the novel. [22] He also worked on the superintendent's body language, which was noted in the novel. [23] Jitendra Joshi played Constable Ashok Katekar, Sartaj's colleague, after auditioning for the role. [24] He was inspired by real-life police officers for his portrayal. [25]

Actress Kubbra Sait played Kukoo, a transgender woman. She was asked to audition by Kashyap at the screening of Mukkabaaz at the MAMI Film Festival, and was cast. [26] Sait felt that the lack of any reference for Kukoo's role made it "the most challenging experience" of her career; she wore a prosthetic penis. [27] Jatin Sarna was cast as gangster Deepak "Bunty" Shinde after auditioning. [28] Rajshri Deshpande played Gaitonde's wife, Subhadra. [29] Girish Kulkarni was originally offered the role of Katekar; he declined because he wanted a character "that would figure in both Sartaj and Ganesh Gaitonde's world", and was then cast as minister Bipin Bhosale. [30] Iranian actress Elnaaz Norouzi was cast as film star Zoya Mirza. [31] Production design was by Shazia Iqbal and Vintee Bansal, and Aarti Bajaj edited the series. [32] Swapnil S. Sonawane filmed the portions directed by Motwane, and Sylvester Fonseca and Aseem Bajaj shot Kashyap's portions. [33] Anish John was the series' sound designer. [34]

Filming

Season 1

Motwane began filming in September 2017. [35] Kashyap started filming after the Mukkabaaz (2017) was completed, and finished shooting in January 2018. [36] Motwane and Kashyap filmed separately; Motwane directed the present-day scenes with Khan, and Kashyap filmed 1980s Bombay with Siddiqui. Motwane called the separate filming an "experiment", [4] and Kashyap found it "painfully difficult" to find "pockets of Bombay which has kept itself like it is". [18] Chandra was working on the novel while Kashyap was working on his film, Black Friday (2007), and he "knew the real-life parallels" in the novel. [18] Kashyap said that he shot the series as he would a film. [4] Motwane said that except for omitting small details, they "stuck to the spirit of the book". [5] He tried to balance the series, "making it for a worldwide audience [and not alienating] everybody over here." [16] Motwane said that he enjoyed telling a story without being confined to a three-act structure. [7] Chandra served as a script consultant in the series. [37]

Sacred Games was shot in several Mumbai locations, including the Byculla neighbourhood, and Motwane said that its period setting presented a "huge logistical challenge". [4] [38] Although the time period of Gaitonde's story remained unchanged, the present-day narrative was shifted to the present from the early 2000s. [7] Motwane said that there is a "similar sort of government [today] and the vibes are the same, so the threat felt a lot more present". [18] According to Sonawane, "A lot of changes happened on the shoot". [33] Several shots in the script, such as the introduction of Gaitonde as a child, were top-angle shots. [33] He filmed Sartaj Singh's scenes with "worn-out but very warm lenses that reflect how nothing is working out in Sartaj's life." [33] The color yellow was used in Gaitonde's scenes to signify that the "guru that he has begun to follow." [33] Bajaj shot for 27 days, leaving when he became involved in another project; Fonseca shot the remaining scenes, using spherical lenses to "demarcate" the world. [33] The shootout at Gaitonde's house was filmed at three locations, with long takes on Steadicam and hand-held cameras. [33] A scene with Sait, involving frontal nudity, was filmed in seven takes. [39]

Season 2

In September 2018, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season. [40] A 58-second teaser promoting the season premiered on 21 September. [41] Kashyap continued to direct, and Neeraj Ghaywan replaced Motwane as co-director. [42] Pankaj Tripathi and Surveen Chawla, seen briefly during the first season, returned in larger roles. [43] [44] Kalki Koechlin, Ranvir Shorey and Amruta Subhash joined the series, [43] and Chawla filmed while she was pregnant. [45] Shooting began in November 2018, with Siddiqui filming his scenes in Nairobi and Khan filming his in Mumbai. [46] [47] It was shot on a 50-day schedule, Ghaywan filming with Khan. [48] The season was extensively filmed in Mombasa, Cape Town and Johannesburg. [49] [50] Shooting ended on 19 February 2019, [51] and the season premiered on 15 August of that year. [52] In 2020, Siddiqui said that there might not be a third season.[ citation needed ]

Music

Sacred Games
Sacred Games (Netflix series) title screen.jpg
Soundtrack album by
Alokananda Dasgupta, Divine, Phenom, Rachita Arora, and Yashraj Jaiswal
Released2018 (2018)
Recorded2017
Genre Soundtrack
Length52:41
Label Netflix
Producer
  • Alokananda Dasgupta
  • Phenom
Alokananda Dasgupta chronology
Breathe
(2018)		Sacred Games
(2018)		 Leila
(2019)
Divine chronology
One Side
(2018)		Sacred Games
(2018)		Roots
(2018)
Track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicSinger(s)Length
1."Intro"  Alokananda Dasgupta Instrumental0:22
2."Main Theme Music" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental2:50
3."Dhuan Dhuan"Rajeshwari DasguptaAlokananda DasguptaPallavi Roy, Mamta Singh2:57
4."Labbon Se Chhukar"Prakhar Mishra Varunendra Rachita Arora Jyotica Tangri 2:52
5."Disco Capital"Prakhar Mishra VarunendraRachita AroraShivi2:53
6."Disco In The Night"Vishal SawantAlokananda Dasgupta Shalmali Kholgade 2:54
7."Kukoo's Couplet"Rajeshwari DasguptaAlokananda DasguptaAlokananda Dasgupta1:30
8."Tabahi"Rajeshwari DeshpandeAlokananda DasguptaMamta Singh2:46
9."Theme Episode 1" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental2:53
10."Sartaj's Agony" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental0:45
11."Katekar Theme" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental0:55
12."The Finale" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental2:12
13."Sartaj Theme" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental1:12
14."I Am Ashwatthama" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental1:36
15."Saiyyan"Rajeshwari DasguptaAlokananda DasguptaPallavi Roy, Shibani Sur1:55
16."Gaitonde was free" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental1:36
17."Zoya's Two- Face" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental1:35
18."Consignment" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental1:29
19."Save Her" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental1:03
20."You Will Be Back" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental1:45
21."Am I Man or God" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental1:12
22."Conspiracy" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental0:49
23."The Chase" Alokananda DasguptaInstrumental1:42
24."Kaam 25" Divine Divine, Phenom and Yashraj Jaiswal (BGM music) Divine 2:41

Music videos

Netflix released the music video of the track "Kaam 25" on YouTube featuring Divine. [57]

Release

Radhika Apte at the series' Mumbai screening Radhika Apte graces the red carpet screening of Netflix's original series Sacred Games (05) (cropped).jpg
Radhika Apte at the series' Mumbai screening

Sacred Games is the first Netflix original series from India. The service announced three new series and four others in February 2018, for a total of seven Indian series in production. [58] [59] A preview of the main three characters (Sartaj, Gaitonde and Anjali Mathur) was released by Netflix on 23 February 2018, with photos of a blood-spattered Sartaj, a perplexed-looking Mathur and a pyjama-clad Gaitonde. [60] A 45-second teaser video was released on 3 May, followed by a trailer on 6 June. [61] [62] The series' first four episodes premiered in Mumbai on 29 June 2018 at the MAMI film festival. [63] Netflix released the series on 5 July in 191 countries, subtitled in over 20 languages. [4] [64] Related mashup videos, artwork and memes circulated on social media after the series' release. [65]

On 10 July 2018, Indian National Congress member Rajeev Kumar Sinha filed a first information report against Netflix, the showrunners and Nawazuddin Siddiqui for allegedly insulting former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in one scene. [66] Another complaint was lodged the following day by Youth Indian National Trade Union Congress city wing and All Indian Cine Worker's Association president (and Congress Party activist) Suresh Shyamal Gupta for allegedly insulting Gandhi. [67] On 14 July 2018, Rahul Gandhi tweeted that freedom "is a fundamental democratic right. My father lived and died in the service of India. The views of a character on a fictional web series can never change that." [68] The following day, Sinha withdrew his complaint after Gandhi's tweet. [69] However, Netflix refused to change the objectionable English subtitle. [70]

According to Netflix vice-president Todd Yellin, its first season was watched by twice as many people outside India. [71]

Reception

Critical response

The series received positive reviews from critics, who praised its performances. [72] [73] On Rotten Tomatoes, season 1 has an approval rating of 92% based on reviews from 26 critics. [74] On Rotten Tomatoes, season 2 has an approval rating of 60% based on reviews from 5 critics. [75]

According to Raja Sen, "It is not an immediately explosive concept, unfolding more like a thriller by numbers, helped along by strong performances and some nimble direction." [76] Jai Arjun Singh said that Sacred Games replicated the novel's profanity, and the "series uses its own methods to stress the idea of religion as something that can be both nurturing and cannibalistic". [77] Ektaa Malik of The Indian Express called the series "edgier and more layered": "For those who have read the original source material — the novel Sacred Games — they might find the series a bit jarring with regards to certain plot developments." [10] Manjusha Radhakrishnan of Gulf News called it an "edgy, thrilling winner", with Khan and Siddiqui in "top form". [78] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave it a positive review: "The series has the potential to wean back viewers who have been driven away from television by drab soap operas and trite entertainment formats." [79]

Dipti Kharude of The Quint praised the series' writing: "What's commendable is that Sacred Games chooses compassion over glorification." [80] Swetha Ramakrishnan of Firstpost called it a "high benchmark for India's first Netflix original", and the show provided "due diligence with high production value and an investment into the right parameters –writing, acting and direction." [81] According to Shristi Negi of News18, the series "totally grips you from start to finish". [82] Ankur Pathak of HuffPost also gave it a positive review: "At the surface, Sacred Games appears to be a standard cat-and-mouse chase but the show's probing, introspective nature turns a clichéd crime-saga to a biting commentary on the zeitgeist. Its relevance to our current moment cannot be overstated." [83]

Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "there are clear flaws", but "there's something riveting about India's bleaker, darker heart being exposed as opposed to some upbeat, colorful explosion of dance scenes". [84] Mike Hale of The New York Times was less enthusiastic: "Despite its verve and visual inventiveness, the series feels muddled and a little wearying at times". [85] Adam Starkey of Metro , however, wrote that the dual narratives are occasionally jarring but compelling nonetheless. [86] Taylor Antrim called the series "mesmerizing" and "addictive": "Bollywood maximal-ism meets downbeat Euro noir meets Hollywood gangster epic". [87] Steve Greene of IndieWire called the series a "surface-level telling of a story that wants to have so much more in its grasp" and noted its violence. [88] John Doyle of The Globe and Mail wrote that the series "sprawls from thriller to dense character study to brooding meditation on the roots of India's political corruption." However, some elements of the story "will puzzle viewers not familiar with India's tangled religious tensions and caste system." [89] Kaitlin Reily of Refinery29 called Sacred Games a "juicy crime thriller that combines a hard-boiled detective story with magical realism." [90] Lincoln Michel of GQ called it the "best Netflix original in years." [91]

The second season received less-favorable reviews than the first, with Tanul Thakur of The Wire writing that it "severely lacks the urgency, the wicked humour and the heartfelt bonds that made the first season so captivating." [92] According to Shreya Iyer of The Times of India , the series "falls short on several levels and is unable to live up to the hype created by the previous season." [93] Kaushani Banerjee of The New Indian Express wrote, "There seems to be a lack of effort or failure to bring newness to the characters which became iconic after the first season was aired." [94] Soumya Rao of Scroll.in called the season "too ambitious for its own good". [95]

Accolades

Sacred Games received the Best Drama Award at the News18 iReel Awards. It received five awards from 11 nominations, including Best Actor (Drama) for Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Best Supporting Actor for Jitendra Joshi, Best Writing (Drama), Best Ensemble Cast, and Best Series (Drama). [96] Kashyap received the Best Direction (Fiction) Award and Aarti Bajaj received the Award for Best Editing at the inaugural Asian Academy Creative Awards. [97] It received the Best Show Jury (Web) and Best Supporting Actor (Web) Award for Kabi, at the 18th Indian Television Academy Awards. [98] The second season was nominated for a 2019 Best Drama International Emmy Award. [99] Sait garnered the OTT Best Female Actor in Negative Role Award at the 2019 Gold Awards. [100] Alokananda Dasgupta received the Best Background Music Award while Slyvester Fonseca received the Best Cinematographer Award at the 2020 Filmfare OTT Awards. [101] It is the only Indian series on The New York Times ' "30 Best International TV Shows of the Decade" list. [102]

Related Research Articles

<i>Black Friday</i> (2004 film) 2004 film by Anurag Kashyap

Black Friday is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language crime film written and directed by Anurag Kashyap. Based on Black Friday: The True Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts, a book by Hussain Zaidi about the 1993 Bombay bombings, it chronicles the events that led to the blasts and the subsequent police investigation. Produced by Arindam Mitra of Mid-Day, the film stars Pawan Malhotra, Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Kishor Kadam and Zakir Hussain.

<i>Sacred Games</i> (novel) 2006 thriller novel by Vikram Chandra

Sacred Games is a mystery/thriller novel by Indian-American author Vikram Chandra published in 2006. Upon release, it received critical acclaim and subsequently won the Vodafone Crossword Book Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vikramaditya Motwane</span> Indian film director and producer

Vikramaditya Motwane is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. He is known for films like Udaan (2010), Lootera (2013), Trapped (2017), and Bhavesh Joshi Superhero (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anurag Kashyap</span> Indian film director and screenwriter (born 1972)

Anurag Kashyap is an Indian film director and actor known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of four Filmfare Awards. For his contributions to film, the Government of France made him a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nawazuddin Siddiqui</span> Indian actor (born 1974)

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is known for his roles in Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), The Lunchbox (2013), Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016), and Manto (2018), among others. As many as eight films in which he features have been screened at the Cannes Film Festival. He has won numerous awards, including a National Film Award, a Filmfare Award, and two Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

<i>Udaan</i> (2010 film) 2010 film by Vikramaditya Motwane

Udaan (transl. 'Flight') is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age drama film directed by Vikramaditya Motwane in his directorial debut. It was produced by Sanjay Singh, Anurag Kashyap and Ronnie Screwvala under their production companies Anurag Kashyap Films and UTV Spotboy respectively. Written by Motwane and Kashyap, the film stars debutante Rajat Barmecha, Ronit Roy, Aayan Boradia, Ram Kapoor, Manjot Singh and Anand Tiwari, and follows the story of a teen who is forced to live with his oppressive father back home after he is expelled from boarding school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girish Kulkarni</span> Indian actor, writer and producer (b. 1977)

Girish Pandurang Kulkarni is an Indian actor, writer, and producer. He is a recipient of two National Film Awards namely, National Film Award for Best Actor in 2011 for his performance in Deool and National Film Award for Best Screenplay for the same film. He is well known for Marathi films such as Valu, Vihir, Deool, Gabhricha Paus and Jaundya Na Balasaheb. He is known to Hindi audiences for his role in the Aamir Khan starrer Dangal and Anurag Kashyap's movie Ugly. He received acclaim for his portrayal of gangster 'Appa' in the 2017 Marathi crime thriller Faster Fene opposite Amey Wagh. He also starred in India's first Netflix original series Sacred Games as the Maharashtra CM Bipin Bhosale character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phantom Studios</span> Indian film production and distribution company

Phantom Studios is an Indian filmproduction and distribution company established by Madhu Mantena, Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, and Vikramaditya Motwane. It was founded in 2011 by all four of them, and was cited as the "directors' company". In March 2015, Reliance Entertainment picked up 50% stake in the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S. Hussain Zaidi</span> Indian writer

S. Hussain Zaidi is an Indian author and former investigative journalist. His works include Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia, Mafia Queens of Mumbai, Black Friday, My Name is Abu Salem and Mumbai Avengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neeraj Ghaywan</span> Indian director

Neeraj Ghaywan is an Indian film director and writer who works in Hindi films. He is the winner of several accolades including a National film Award and two Filmfare Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajshri Deshpande</span> Indian actress

Rajshri Deshpande is an Indian actress. She gained international recognition for her performance in Pan Nalin's drama film Angry Indian Goddesses. She then portrayed the title character in Sanal Kumar Sasidharan's Sexy Durga and received critical acclaim for her performance in the Netflix series Sacred Games. In 2023, Deshpande won Best Actress in a Drama Series at the 2023 Filmfare OTT Awards, for her work in Trial by Fire.

<i>Raman Raghav 2.0</i> 2017 film by Anurag Kashyap

Raman Raghav 2.0 is a 2016 Indian neo-noir psychological crime thriller film directed by Anurag Kashyap. Produced by Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vikas Bahl, and Madhu Mantena, the film stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vicky Kaushal, and debutante Sobhita Dhulipala. It depicts in eight chapters the cat and mouse chase of serial killer Ramanna (Siddiqui) by corrupt cop Raghavan (Kaushal). Real-life killer Raman Raghav, who operated in Mumbai during the 1960s, inspired the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jatin Sarna</span> Indian film and theatre actor (born 1984)

Jatin Sarna is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films and theatre. He is best known for his work in Meeruthiya Gangsters, Saat Uchakkey, Sonchiriya, Darbar, 83 and Sacred Games, an original Netflix series, Khakee: The Bihar Chapter. Jatin is known for his work with several Bollywood film directors such as Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, AR Murugadoss, Hansal Mehta, Abhishek Chaubey, Kanu Behl and Kabir Khan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kubbra Sait</span> Indian actress and model

Kubbra Sait is an Indian actress, TV host and model who has appeared in the films Sultan, Ready and City Of Life. She gained widespread recognition for her performance as Kukoo on the First Season of Netflix original show Sacred Games. She also portrayed the role of Phara Keaen in the Apple TV+ show Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nawazuddin Siddiqui filmography</span>

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is an alumnus of the National School of Drama. Siddiqui's feature film debut was alongside director Prashant Bhargava in Patang (2012), and his performance was appreciated by cinema critic Roger Ebert. He also gained international recognition for his work with director Anurag Kashyap in Black Friday (2007), the Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), duology and Raman Raghav 2.0.

<i>Ghoomketu</i> Indian Hindi Language film

Ghoomketu is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language comedy drama film written and directed by Pushpendra Nath Misra. The film stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Ragini Khanna, Anurag Kashyap, Ila Arun, Raghuvir Yadav and Brijendra Kala in the main lead roles while also featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha and Chitrangada Singh in cameo appearances. The film was produced under two production banners Phantom Films and Sony Pictures Networks Productions, acquired by ZEE5. The plot based on an aspiring novice writer from a small town who runs away to Mumbai to achieve his dreams. The film was streamed via ZEE5 platform on 22 May 2020 instead of theatrical release due to COVID-19 pandemic in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saurabh Sachdeva</span> Indian film actor and acting coach

Saurabh Sachdeva is an Indian actor and acting coach. He started his film career in Maroon, which was released in 2016. He received critical acclaim for his character Suleiman Isa in the Netflix series Sacred Games in 2018. A veteran acting coach, he trained an array of B-town stars including Rana Daggubati, Harshvardhan Rane, Freida Pinto, Varun Dhawan, Raghav Juyal, Akshay Oberoi, Arjun Mathur, Kubbra Sait, Richa Chadha, Dulquer Salmaan, Tripti Dimri, Avinash Tiwary, Arjun Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Vaani Kapoor, Asha Negi, Shakti Mohan, Rithvik Dhanjani, Shivam Patil, Adarsh Gourav, and Mandana Karimi.

<i>AK vs AK</i> 2020 film by Vikramaditya Motwane

AK vs AK is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language black comedy thriller film directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and is the first release under his banner Andolan Films. Anurag Kashyap, the executive producer and dialogue writer, also stars alongside Anil Kapoor as the title characters with Harshvardhan Kapoor and debutante Yogita Bihani in pivotal roles.

References

  1. ↑ "Sacred Games: can Netflix's Mumbai mob drama turn India on to TV?". The Guardian . 4 July 2018. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  2. ↑ "This Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai actor bags a negative role in Sacred Games 2". India Today. 11 November 2018. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  3. 1 2 Choudhary, Vidhi. "Sacred Games: How India's first Netflix original came together". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sahani, Alaka (4 July 2018). "Anurag Kashyap: Vikram Chandra has written amazing love letters to Vikramaditya Motwane after watching Sacred Games". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  5. 1 2 Upadhyay, Karishma (5 July 2018). "Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane co-direct Sacred Games, Netflix's first Indian original". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Radhakrishnan, Manjusha (4 July 2018). "'Sacred Games': Saif Ali Khan takes on Nawazuddin Siddiqui". Gulf News. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Deodhar, Neerja (10 July 2018). "Sacred Games: Vikramaditya Motwane on adapting Vikram Chandra's book, collaborating with Netflix". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  8. 1 2 Naahar, Rohan (8 July 2018). "Playing the Sacred Games: How the country's biggest talents came together to make India's first global show". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  9. ↑ Safaya, Mugdha Kapoor (6 July 2018). "Sacred Games: Would Have Turned it Down if it Were in English: Anurag Kashyap and Nawazuddin Siddiqui". News18. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  10. 1 2 Malik, Ektaa (30 June 2018). "Sacred Games review: The Devil of the Details". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Borges, Jane (15 July 2018). "Sacred Games Writers Didn't Want To Load The Script With Sex Or Violence". Mid Day. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Confused by Sacred Games' use of Hindu mythology? Let's decode episode titles". Hindustan Times. 12 July 2018. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  13. ↑ "Sacred Games on Netflix: Decoding the intricate title credits and logo design". Architectural Digest. 10 July 2018. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  14. ↑ Rastogi, Shivam (10 August 2018). "Don't Skip The Intro: How The Opening Credits Of Sacred Games Was Created". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  15. 1 2 3 Rao, Soumya (10 July 2018). "How 'Sacred Games' stays true to the source novel but also turns it on its head". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Panicker, Anahita (5 July 2018). "What went down on a day-long shoot of 'Sacred Games' in Mumbai" . The Hindu . Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  17. ↑ Waheed, Alia (4 July 2018). "Sacred Games: can Netflix's Mumbai mob drama turn India on to TV?". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Rosario, Kennith (4 July 2018). "Sacred Games: The story of how Bombay became Mumbai" . The Hindu . Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  19. ↑ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui: I've never treated my characters as gangsters, I look at them as humans". The Indian Express. 2 July 2018. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  20. ↑ Deodhar, Neerja (5 July 2018). "Sacred Games: Anurag Kashyap on working with Netflix and his 'street cred' as a director of dark, intense films". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  21. ↑ Negi, Shrishti (25 July 2018). "Sacred Games Director Vikramaditya Motwane: Nawaz Was Always My First Choice for Ganesh Gaitonde". News18. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  22. ↑ Singh, Deepali (21 June 2018). "'Comedy is one of my strong points': Neeraj Kabi". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  23. ↑ "Sacred Games cast compares Vikram Motwane, Anurag Kashyap, teases season 2". Hindustan Times. 8 August 2018. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  24. ↑ N, Patcy (4 September 2018). "The actor who stole the show in Sacred Games". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  25. ↑ Purkayastha, Debasree (21 July 2018). "I have seen many Katekars in life, says Jitendra Joshi of 'Sacred Games' fame" . The Hindu . Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  26. ↑ "Here's how Kubbra Sait got the chance to audition for 'Sacred Games'". Daily News and Analysis. 14 July 2018. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  27. ↑ Basu, Mohar (5 July 2018). "Kubbra Sait On Playing Transgender In Sacred Games: Even Had A Prosthetic Penis". Mid Day. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  28. ↑ Mathur, Yashika (17 July 2018). "Sacred Games' Bunty kept messaging and asking Anurag Kashyap for work, and it paid off". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  29. ↑ Gupta, Surbhi (31 July 2018). "Sacred Games actor Rajshri Deshpande: I am not a fantasy character". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  30. ↑ Suri, Rishabh (24 July 2018). "Girish Kulkarni was originally offered Katekar's part, and not Bipin Bhosale, in Sacred Games". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  31. ↑ Kukreja, Monika Rawal (25 July 2018). "Sacred Games actor Elnaaz Norouzi: I used to watch Saif in Kal Ho Na Ho, never thought I'd act with him one day". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  32. ↑ "More pressure this time: Kashyap on Sacred Games 2". Outlook. 30 July 2019. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  33. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ramnath, Nandini (20 July 2018). "Shooting 'Sacred Games': The show's three cinematographers reveal how they created a united vision". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  34. 1 2 3 4 Ghosh, Devarsi (15 July 2018). "'Dark, criminal, funny, with truth underneath': Alokananda Dasgupta on the music of 'Sacred Games'". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  35. ↑ Saif Ali Khan spotted shooting for 'Sacred Games'. YouTube. India: E 24. 7 September 2017. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  36. ↑ "Anurag Kashyap wraps Sacred Games, starts shooting of Manmarziyaan". India TV. 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  37. ↑ Nair, Supriya (2 July 2018). "Vikram Chandra on 'Sacred Games': 'I cried though I know what's going to happen to the characters'". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  38. ↑ Basu, Mohar (1 April 2018). "An intoxicating tale in the making". Press Reader. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  39. ↑ Tulsiani, Kriti (9 July 2018). "Exclusive: Kubbra Sait reveals why she had to shoot for Sacred Games' frontal nudity scene 7 times". Times Now. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  40. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (21 September 2018). "'Sacred Games': Netflix Renews Indian Crime Drama For Season 2". Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  41. ↑ "Sacred Games is coming back with a second season, confirms Netflix". The Indian Express. 21 September 2018. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  42. ↑ "Netflix confirms: Sacred Games will be back with a second season". The Indian Express. 22 September 2018. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  43. 1 2 Jhunjhunwala, Udita (5 August 2019). "Pankaj Tripathi's challenge on being Guruji in 'Sacred Games S2': 'Engaging without being bloodless'". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  44. ↑ Sinha, Seema (18 August 2019). "Sacred Games: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Amruta Subhash, Surveen Chawla on Season 2 of Netflix series". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  45. ↑ "Surveen Chawla Opens up on Challenges of Playing Jojo Mascarenhas in Sacred Games During Pregnancy". News18. 29 November 2019. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  46. ↑ "Sacred Games: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Anurag Kashyap shoot season 2 of Netflix Original in Nairobi, Kenya". Firspost. 6 December 2018. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  47. ↑ "LEAKED! Saif Ali Khan reprises Sartaj Singh as he begins Sacred Games 2 shooting in Mumbai". Bollywood Hungama . 2 November 2018. Archived from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  48. ↑ Basu, Mohar (5 December 2018). "Sacred Games Season 2: Nawazuddin Siddiqui Shoots In Nairobi, While Saif Ali Khan In Mumbai". Mid Day. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  49. ↑ "Pankaj Tripathi begins shooting for Sacred Games season 2 in South Africa". Hindustan Times. 16 January 2019. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  50. ↑ "Sacred Games 2: Nawazuddin Siddiqui calls new season as the baap of first season". Bollywood Hungama. 28 October 2019. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  51. ↑ "It's a wrap for Sacred Games Season 2". The Indian Express. 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  52. ↑ "Every Detail You Need to Know About Sacred Games Season 2 Before it Premieres at Midnight". News18. 14 August 2019. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  53. ↑ Sacred Games Songs: Audio Jukebox. Netflix.
  54. ↑ "Sacred Games soundtrack". Tune find. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  55. 1 2 3 Jain, Sidhantha (5 July 2018). "Sacred Games: DIVINE talks about the inspiration behind 'Kaam 25', uncovering the dark side of Mumbai". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  56. ↑ Maskeri, Anju (29 July 2018). "Sacred Games' Composer Rachita Arora: Gender Doesn't Matter In The Music Field". Mid Day. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  57. ↑ "Kaam 25: Divine's Latest Song For Netflix Original Sacred Games Released", News 18 , 22 June 2018, archived from the original on 2 May 2023, retrieved 2 May 2023
  58. ↑ Arora, Akhil (23 February 2018). "Netflix Adds Three New Originals to India Slate". NDTV. Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  59. ↑ "Sacred Games: Netflix launches its first Indian drama series". BBC. 6 July 2018. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  60. ↑ "Sacred Games first look: A bloodied Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte in new Netflix drama". Hindustan Times. 23 February 2018. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  61. ↑ Singh, Anvita (4 May 2018). "Sacred Games teaser: Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays a don with a God-complex". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  62. ↑ Basu, Nilanjana (6 June 2018). "Sacred Games Trailer: Saif Ali Khan Desperately Trying To Save Mumbai From Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Who Plays 'God'". NDTV. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  63. ↑ "Netflix's Sacred Games featuring Saif Ali Khan-Nawazuddin Siddiqui, gets star-heavy premiere in Mumbai". Firstpost. 29 June 2018. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  64. ↑ Bhattacharya, Ananya (4 July 2018). "Netflix wants its made-in-India content to go global like Narcos". Quartz . Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  65. ↑ "'Sacred Games' inspires mashup videos, funky artwork, and hundreds of memes". Scroll.in. 20 July 2018. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  66. ↑ "Nawazuddin abused Rajiv Gandhi on Netflix's Sacred Games: Bengal Congress leader". Hindustan Times. 10 July 2018. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  67. ↑ "Second Congress Activist's Complaint Against Nawazuddin Over Netflix Show". NDTV. 12 July 2018. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  68. ↑ Tikku, Aloke (14 July 2018). "'Freedom Of Expression', Says Rahul Gandhi On Sacred Games Row". NDTV. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  69. ↑ "'Inspired' by Rahul Gandhi, Congress Worker to Withdraw Complaint Against Sacred Games". News18. 15 July 2018. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  70. ↑ HT Correspondent (8 August 2018). "Netflix will not change objectionable word in Sacred Games, Rajiv Gandhi line to remain". hindustantimes.com. Archived from the original on 15 May 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2023.{{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  71. ↑ "2 out of 3 people who watched Sacred Games were outside of India: Netflix on spreading its content". Hindustan Times. 8 November 2018. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  72. ↑ "'Sacred Games' review: Saif Ali Khan's Netflix series garners positive reviews worldwide". The Free Press Journal . 10 July 2018. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  73. ↑ Lynch, John (9 July 2018). "Netflix's first original series from India, 'Sacred Games,' is an addictive crime thriller with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes". Business Insider . Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  74. ↑ "Sacred Games: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  75. ↑ "Sacred Games: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  76. ↑ Sen, Raja (4 July 2018). "'Sacred Games' is worth playing". Mint. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  77. ↑ Singh, Jai Arjun (4 July 2018). "Religion Is a Cannibalistic, Self-Replenishing Beast in Netflix's 'Sacred Games'". Vice. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  78. ↑ Radhakrishnan, Manjusha (2 July 2018). "'Sacred Games' review: An edgy, thrilling winner". Gulf News . Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  79. ↑ Chatterjee, Saibal (5 July 2018). "Netflix's Sacred Games Review: First Impressions - Toned-Down Saif Ali Khan Is Perfect". NDTV . Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  80. ↑ Kharude, Dipti (30 June 2018). "Review: The Digital Game Just Got Bigger With Netflix's 'Sacred Games'". The Quint . Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  81. ↑ Ramakrishnan, Swetha (6 July 2018). "Sacred Games review: Netflix sets an impossibly high benchmark with this gritty, quintessential Mumbai noir tale". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  82. ↑ Negi, Shrishti (6 July 2018). "Sacred Games Review: Nawazuddin Siddiqui-Saif Ali Khan's Show Totally Grips You from Start to Finish". News18 . Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  83. ↑ Pathak, Ankur (10 July 2018). "'Sacred Games' Review: India Finally Has A Prestige TV Drama To Call Its Own". HuffPost . Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  84. ↑ Goodman, Tim (6 July 2018). "'Sacred Games': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  85. ↑ Hale, Mike (6 July 2018). "Review: The Criminal Life in Mumbai in 'Sacred Games'" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  86. ↑ Starkey, Adam (29 June 2018). "Sacred Games review: Netflix strikes gold with stylish Indian thriller". Metro . Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  87. ↑ Antrim, Taylor (20 July 2018). "Netflix's Sacred Games Is Your Next Binge Watch". Vogue . Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  88. ↑ Greene, Steve (9 July 2018). "'Sacred Games' Review: Netflix's First Original Series from India Is an Artful Portrait of Senseless Violence". IndieWire . Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  89. ↑ Doyle, John (10 July 2018). "Netflix's Sacred Games is a brilliant thriller series from India" . The Globe and Mail . Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  90. ↑ Reily, Kaitlin (7 July 2018). "Sacred Games Is Netflix's New Narcos, With A Twist". Refinery29 . Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  91. ↑ Michel, Lincoln (21 July 2018). "Sacred Games Is the Best New Show on Netflix You Aren't Watching" . GQ . Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  92. ↑ Thakur, Tanul (19 August 2019). "Review: Why Season 2 of 'Sacred Games' Fails to Captivate". The Wire . Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  93. ↑ Iyer, Shreya. "Sacred Games Season 2". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  94. ↑ Kaushani, Banerjee (25 August 2019). "'Sacred Games' season 2 review: 'Blood and bore'". The New Indian Express . Archived from the original on 14 September 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  95. ↑ Rao, Soumya (16 August 2019). "Review: 'Sacred Games' season 2 is too ambitious for its own good". Scroll.in . Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  96. ↑ "News18 iReel Awards: Vikramaditya Motwane's Sacred Games Wins Best Drama". News18. 7 September 2018. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  97. ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (8 December 2018). "Sacred Games, Miss Sherlock Win Asian Academy Creative Awards". Variety . Archived from the original on 30 April 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  98. ↑ "Indian Television Academy Awards 2018: Complete list of winners". The Indian Express. 12 December 2018. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  99. ↑ "Sacred Games loses at International Emmy Awards 2019: How the cast of Netflix Original predicted win on The Brand New Show". Firstpost. 26 November 2019. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  100. ↑ "Watch Gold Awards 2019 Oct 29, 2019 Full Episode". Zee5. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  101. ↑ "Flyx Filmfare OTT Awards 2020: Complete winners' list". The Times of India . 19 December 2020. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  102. ↑ "Sacred Games only Indian show on New York Times' list of 30 best international TV series of the decade". Hindustan Times. 25 December 2019. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2020.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.