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Sacred Games

Overview

Sacred Games is an Indian neo-noir crime thriller streaming television series produced by Phantom Films for Netflix. Adapted from the 2006 English-language novel of the same name by Indian author Vikram Chandra, it became the first Indian original series commissioned by Netflix. The series premiered on 6 July 2018 and concluded with its second season on 15 August 2019.

Key Facts

Title Sacred Games
Genre Crime thriller, neo-noir
Based on Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra (2006)
Original language Hindi
Original network Netflix
Country of origin India
Production company Phantom Films
Directors Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane (Season 1); Anurag Kashyap, Neeraj Ghaywan (Season 2)
Showrunner Vikramaditya Motwane
Writers Varun Grover, Smita Singh, Vasant Nath, Pooja Tolani, Dhruv Narang, Nihit Bhave
Lead cast Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, Pankaj Tripathi, Kalki Koechlin, Kubbra Sait
Seasons 2
Episodes 16 (8 per season)
First aired 6 July 2018
Setting Mumbai (primarily)

Plot

The narrative follows Sartaj Singh, a troubled Sikh police inspector in Mumbai, who receives an anonymous phone call from the long-missing gangster Ganesh Gaitonde. Gaitonde warns him that the city will be destroyed in 25 days and instructs him to save it. The series alternates between Sartaj's present-day investigation and the rise of Gaitonde from a young runaway to one of Mumbai's most powerful crime lords, drawing in themes of organised crime, communal politics, religious cults, intelligence agencies, and nuclear conspiracy.

Cast

  • Saif Ali Khan as Inspector Sartaj Singh
  • Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Ganesh Gaitonde
  • Radhika Apte as Anjali Mathur, a RAW analyst
  • Pankaj Tripathi as Guruji
  • Kalki Koechlin as Batya Abelman
  • Kubbra Sait as Kukoo
  • Jatin Sarna as Bunty
  • Neeraj Kabi as Parulkar
  • Surveen Chawla as Jojo Mascarenas
  • Amey Wagh as Constable Ashwathi
  • Ranvir Shorey as K. D. Yadav (Season 2)
  • Amruta Subhash as Kusum Devi Yadav (Season 2)

Production

The project was developed by Phantom Films, the production house co-founded by Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vikas Bahl and Madhu Mantena. Motwane served as showrunner. Kashyap directed the segments set in the past tracing Gaitonde's rise, while Motwane directed the present-day police investigation track in the first season. For the second season, Neeraj Ghaywan replaced Motwane as co-director, handling Sartaj's storyline.

The series was filmed largely on location in Mumbai, with sequences for the second season also shot in Kenya and Sri Lanka. The screenplay reworked Chandra's novel, which spans nearly 900 pages, condensing and adapting major arcs while introducing new material.

Release

Season 1 of eight episodes was released globally on Netflix on 6 July 2018. Season 2, also of eight episodes, was released on 15 August 2019, coinciding with India's Independence Day.

Reception

The first season received widespread critical acclaim for its writing, direction, performances—particularly those of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Pankaj Tripathi—and its depiction of Mumbai's underworld. It was hailed as a landmark in Indian streaming content and helped establish the long-form Hindi web series as a serious creative form. The second season received a more mixed response, with critics praising the performances and ambition but noting a less coherent narrative.

The series drew political controversy over a scene in the first season referencing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. A complaint was filed in a Kolkata court by a Congress worker seeking removal of the dialogue. The Delhi High Court subsequently dismissed a related petition seeking restraint on the streaming of the show. The case contributed to the wider public debate in India over content regulation on over-the-top (OTT) platforms.

Significance

As Netflix's first Indian original, Sacred Games is regarded as a turning point for the Indian streaming industry. It demonstrated international demand for Hindi-language long-form drama, accelerated investment by global streaming platforms in Indian original programming, and broadened the scope of themes and language permissible in mainstream Indian screen content. The series is frequently cited alongside Amazon Prime Video's Mirzapur and The Family Man as foundational to the modern Indian web series landscape.

Soundtrack

The original score was composed by Alokananda Dasgupta. The opening theme and background score received particular praise for shaping the show's tense, atmospheric tone.

References

  • Chandra, Vikram. Sacred Games. HarperCollins, 2006.
  • Netflix India official series page.
  • Contemporary reviews and reporting in The Hindu, The Indian Express, Mint, and Scroll.in.