Sacred Games (2018)

Watchseries; I liked how the story began. This isn't a slow narrative, you basically have to run with the characters to catch up with their mind and emotions and sometimes have to see between the frames. I live on the extreme ends of storytelling arch. I love the slow narrative where each and everything is described in such a manner that you feel you are in that situation and you start feeling what the character feels and then there is the impromptu situation where you are unexpectedly put in and you have to start catching up with why the characters are doing what they are doing. Both are fun ways to sit back and enjoy a show. Sacred Games falls under the latter category. Ganesh Gaitonde is that don who has only one purpose and that is to be the city he lives in - Bombay. The show takes us through his journey from Trimbakeshwar to Bombay and how as an adult after pedaling in drugs he decides by and by that he is meant for much more than that. He dreams big and he sets his ambition into action. We see ruthlessness in him which is a pre requisite of being a don but at the same time we see him trying to make his gang walk the secular line so as not to have religion come into play. You and I and that is if you were born in the 80's will nod your head at the narrative of the story when scenes of unrest are shown in the post Indira Gandhi era that has left the nation broken and at the same time has become that "gap" that Politicians use as their mosh pits come election season.

Gaitonde claims he has three fathers and tells us about each one and how they influenced his life and made him who he is. Then we have Sartaj, the Sikh inspector who is trying really hard to battle the internal corruption in police services by refusing to give a false statement in court. His refusal becomes leverage for his superior who dangles his refusal as bait at every opportunity that Sartaj needs back up or when he works on a lead. Sartaj has his own emotional baggage. His wife has left him and he hasn't gotten over her. This I presume is what leads him to consume anxiety pills. We see a little bit of emotional instability in him but not so much that we question his judgment as he pursues his cop instincts. Anjali Mathur, the RAW agent who wants to step out into the field and not just stay behind her desk. She, like Sartaj, follows her instincts and teams up with Sartaj to save the city. Except she believes there is more to the story than just a gang war. Of course she is stopped from acting on her hunch and evidence because hey she's a girl and girls can't go out and play after sundown. Like Sartaj she also has her own reasons for being who she is and that is what propels her into going forward to uncover the roles of different people in the story. Kookoo, I think was a metaphor for the city itself and whoever had Kookoo had Bombay. That's all that I'll be saying about this character.

These are the primary characters and these characters all have very obvious roles to play and are definitely the leads but for me it was the secondary actors who did all the work in making me hate and love the plot. Kanta Bai, who is so freaking stoic even when there is chaos around her and even when things are going bad she is just there strong as a pillar and not scared of Gaitonde. Probably because she is more like a mother to him, after all it's all thanks to her that he gets his first break. Katekar, is that constable who is at Sartaj's beck and call. Even though he represents the constable in the series he is also doing the

I liked how the story began. This isn't a slow narrative, you basically have to run with the characters to catch up with their mind and emotions and sometimes have to see between the frames. I live on the extreme ends of storytelling arch. I love the slow narrative where each and everything is described in such a manner that you feel you are in that situation and you start feeling what the character feels and then there is the impromptu situation where you are unexpectedly put in and you have to start catching up with why the characters are doing what they are doing. Both are fun ways to sit back and enjoy a show. Sacred Games falls under the latter category. Ganesh Gaitonde is that don who has only one purpose and that is to be the city he lives in - Bombay. The show takes us through his journey from Trimbakeshwar to Bombay and how as an adult after pedaling in drugs he decides by and by that he is meant for much more than that. He dreams big and he sets his ambition into action. We see ruthlessness in him which is a pre requisite of being a don but at the same time we see him trying to make his gang walk the secular line so as not to have religion come into play. You and I and that is if you were born in the 80's will nod your head at the narrative of the story when scenes of unrest are shown in the post Indira Gandhi era that has left the nation broken and at the same time has become that "gap" that Politicians use as their mosh pits come election season.

Gaitonde claims he has three fathers and tells us about each one and how they influenced his life and made him who he is. Then we have Sartaj, the Sikh inspector who is trying really hard to battle the internal corruption in police services by refusing to give a false statement in court. His refusal becomes leverage for his superior who dangles his refusal as bait at every opportunity that Sartaj needs back up or when he works on a lead. Sartaj has his own emotional baggage. His wife has left him and he hasn't gotten over her. This I presume is what leads him to consume anxiety pills. We see a little bit of emotional instability in him but not so much that we question his judgment as he pursues his cop instincts. Anjali Mathur, the RAW agent who wants to step out into the field and not just stay behind her desk. She, like Sartaj, follows her instincts and teams up with Sartaj to save the city. Except she believes there is more to the story than just a gang war. Of course she is stopped from acting on her hunch and evidence because hey she's a girl and girls can't go out and play after sundown. Like Sartaj she also has her own reasons for being who she is and that is what propels her into going forward to uncover the roles of different people in the story. Kookoo, I think was a metaphor for the city itself and whoever had Kookoo had Bombay. That's all that I'll be saying about this character.

These are the primary characters and these characters all have very obvious roles to play and are definitely the leads but for me it was the secondary actors who did all the work in making me hate and love the plot. Kanta Bai, who is so freaking stoic even when there is chaos around her and even when things are going bad she is just there strong as a pillar and not scared of Gaitonde. Probably because she is more like a mother to him, after all it's all thanks to her that he gets his first break. Katekar, is that constable who is at Sartaj's beck and call. Even though he represents the constable in the series he is also doing the

Sacred Games watchseries. One of the finest actor in Marathi Film Industry grabbing the opportunity .Amazing Performance Saheb !

Man, season 2 could not have been any better. I think a lot of people expected this season to be just like season 1 and hence they were disappointed. Season 1 had jokes, funny characters , Nudity, earthly mumbai life and a lot of Bunty. S1 kinda gave off that gangs of wasseypur vibe that we all love. But for S2, They took a different approach by choreographing the story in a very serious and poetic fashion (Well they had too because its the endgame). It totally worked IMO. The way story unfoldes in a poetic and dark manner was amazing. If you pay close attention to all the hints Guruji makes, you will understand that he actually made a lot of sense. Kinda like Thanos from the avengers. It is such a shame that the majority of the viewers could not get past the dark comedy of season 1 and appreciate the intellence behind season 2.

With this show Netflix has really changed the game of television and storytelling in India. Bollywood now really has to step up and stop making brain dead movies just for commercial success.

It is directed by Anurag Kashyap and Vikram Aditya Motwane and trust me there are no other directors in Bollywood who could have done justice to this show. It has that same rawness, realism and intricate storytelling like Gangs of Wasseypur and Dev D by Kashyap and Motwane.

Acting is suberb and top notch by a great ensemble cast with Nawazuddin channeling his Faizal Khan from Wasseypur with more emotional layers to it. Radhika apte, Saif Ali Khan, Neeraj Kabi, Jitendra Singh also delivers strong performances. Kubra Sait delivers a heart warming breakout performance like never seen before.

This is a must watch for anybody who likes watching stories that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Also must watch just to see how Mumbai becomes a character in a story like none other told before.

Really can't wait for the next season. Need it like yesterday.

10/10

People who doesn't understand they are giving it low ratings because when you see it clearly, 1st season has all the questions and 2nd season have all the answers, 2nd season is the answers for the people who are saying that Sacred Games is getting success because of abusive words and nudity, it can go beyond of your mind, complexity of script and small open secrets hiding nowhere but in front of your eyes. Over the top performances, well written and well directed.

Having fallen in love with the book 10 years ago, I had a lot of reservations of how its screen adaptation would be. In the book, Vikram chandra had explored each character in so much depth with different layers that to make a 3 hour Bollywood Flick would have been foremost a daunting task and secondary an injustice to the plot.

Enter, Netflix. Having changed the Tele scene world over, no other production house would be more suited and daring than Netflix to take this Plot head on and do justice to it. And no other duo of Directors than Anurag Kashyap and Vikram Motwane to direct it with such finesse, style and daring.

The series is gripping, fascinating, dark, thought-provoking, chilling and so much more. It is also very relevant in today's India with its tense social and religious under-current.

Every actor is top-notch. The role is Bread & Butter for Nawazuddin Siddiqui and he owns every scene he is in. How badly I wanted Saif Ali Khan to prove himself once more after 'Langda Tyagi'. He is not only superb but you feel the amount of efforts he has put in the role. Also the actor playing 'Bunty Sharma' is the best among all the sub-characters.

The series is truly Binge-worthy and shows what can be achieved without the CBFC 'Big Brother' role. I am however quite sceptic of how it would be received by majority of the Indian audience who have been spoiled with mushy romantic genres and action for them is a muscular middle aged guy beating up 30 under-fed rowdies. I sincerely hope that this series results in a commercial success for all involved so that we can get to see more and more epic like this from our filmmakers.