Sacred Games (TV series)

Production

Netflix vice-president Erik Barmack discovered Vikram Chandra's novel while seeking Indian content for a global audience, calling it an interesting property and deciding on a Hindi adaptation. In 2014, Netflix approached Phantom Films; writer-director Vikramaditya Motwane, who had read Chandra's earlier work introducing Sartaj Singh, thought the novel was great and appreciated Netflix's wish to produce in Hindi. Motwane found the web-series format liberating, as it allowed stories without the constraints of a two-and-a-half-hour film.

He initially considered multiple directors but later suggested co-directing with Anurag Kashyap, feeling their distinct voices suited the two parallel plot tracks. Kashyap, who had previously declined an English-language adaptation offer from AMC and Scott Free Productions, eagerly accepted. The writers—Varun Grover, Smita Singh, and Vasant Nath—completed the script in a year, with research by Smita Nair and Mantra Watsa summarizing each chapter.

Chandra provided feedback on the scripts. Motwane directed scenes with Sartaj Singh, Kashyap directed Gaitonde's scenes; Swapnil Sonawane, Sylvester Fonseca, and Aseem Bajaj handled cinematography. For the second season, Motwane reduced his role to showrunner, replaced as director by Neeraj Ghaywan.

Release

Sacred Games was announced as part of seven Indian series in production by Netflix in February 2018. A preview of the three main characters was released on 23 February 2018, followed by a 45-second teaser on 3 May and a trailer on 6 June. The first four episodes premiered at the MAMI film festival in Mumbai on 29 June 2018.

After release, mashup videos, artwork, and memes circulated on social media. 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 Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Another complaint was lodged the next day.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted on 14 July that freedom is a fundamental democratic right and that his father's service could not be changed by a fictional character's views; Sinha withdrew his complaint the following day. Netflix refused to change the objectionable English subtitle. Netflix vice-president Todd Yellin stated the first season was watched by twice as many people outside India.

Reception

The series received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its performances. On Rotten Tomatoes, season 1 holds a 92% approval rating based on 26 reviews; season 2 has a 60% rating based on 5 reviews. Raja Sen described it as unfolding like a thriller by numbers, bolstered by strong performances and nimble direction. Jai Arjun Singh noted the series replicated the novel's profanity and used its own methods to stress religion as both nurturing and cannibalistic.

Ektaa Malik of The Indian Express called it edgier and more layered, though jarring for readers of the novel regarding certain plot developments. Manjusha Radhakrishnan of Gulf News deemed it an edgy, thrilling winner with Khan and Siddiqui in top form. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave a positive review, saying it could wean back viewers driven away by drab soap operas.

Dipti Kharude of The Quint commended the writing for choosing compassion over glorification. Swetha Ramakrishnan of Firstpost called it a high benchmark for India's first Netflix original, with high production value and investment in writing, acting, and direction. Shristi Negi of News18 said it totally grips from start to finish. Ankur Pathak of HuffPost noted its probing, introspective nature turns a clichéd crime saga into a biting commentary on the zeitgeist.

Did You Know?

• The series is the only Indian series on The New York Times '30 Best International TV Shows of the Decade' list.
• Alokananda Dasgupta received the Best Background Music Award at the 2020 Filmfare OTT Awards.
• The second season was nominated for a 2019 Best Drama International Emmy Award.