Reviews & Ratings for
Sacred Games (2018)

I normally don’t review TV shows, but this one is an exception. Directed by Anurag Kashyap and his regular partner in crime Vikramaditya Motwane , Sacred Games is based on a novel by Vikram Chandra. This review is for the Hindi Version. I haven’t yet seen or plan to see the English dubbed audio. Also I haven’t read the novel yet, so I am review the series based on its own merit.

A Note about other reviews/Opinions. It seems most if not all the reviews are just first impressions and the people reviewing and writing about it haven’t actually seen all the episodes instead basing it on the first two episodes. Which is a pathetic way to review a show. Which can only be talked about after seeing all the episodes.

So here is my review based on ALL the 8 episodes of season 1.

Sacred Games is a thriller mixed in with a rise to power story of an ex-Mumbai based gangster. Peppered in are elements of real history of our country. This show is made and designed very much to be an Indian Narcos. Which is great. It’s about time India’s seedy criminal underbelly got the non-Bollywood treatment. So we have lots of swearing of the most filthy kind, nudity of men and women and lots and lots of blood and violence. It’s sort of refreshing to see the extreme portrayal of gang violence which can’t be shown in Bollywood films due to the censor board.
The Acting :
Saif is really good as the Sartaj Singh a sort of down on his luck rookie type Cop. He plays his role with conviction and realism. There is none of the fake Bollywood sheen to his acting; it’s a very raw portrayal of a cop. Probably due to the content, I would say this is saif’s career best performance. It’s nice to see how a main stream star has taken a Web Series role which has none of the usual things that stars do, such as singing, dancing or romancing.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Ganesh Gaitonde is an ex-gangster of the Arun Gawli kind. He has played this sort of role before for Anurag’s own Gangs of Wasseypur. Therefore, this isn’t such a departure for him, but he too plays his role with a strength and conviction which lends credibility to his larger than life gangster persona on screen.
Radhika Apte looks convincing as a RAW agent, but she is also the weakest part of the lead casting. Her acting is fine, but somehow her body language is far less convincing. Maybe real life RAW agents are like this, but as far as other actors are concerned in the show who look like they are REAL people, she stands out as the one with the least convincing portrayal.
Rest of the cast is pretty good and as I mentioned before, everyone manages to be convincing in their acting and you forget these are actors and see the performances as if they are real people. Which is the best thing for a project like this.

The Story :
Since I haven’t read the novel, I don’t know where the story is going. But so far it’s all about cops, ministers, gangsters, religion and a murder mystery. On paper, that’s VERY standard fare. It’s the typical collection you expect from any political thriller.
But what REALLY shines about the story is the parts about how the gangster Ganesh came to be. His origin story as it were. These sections are shown in flashbacks and Nawazuddin Siddiqui is in his element during these scenes. In addition, this part of the story, to me is much more interesting than the thriller that is unfolding during the present time.
Saif’s cop thriller story isn’t bad, but it is a by the numbers thriller. Offering nothing-new story wise. Only great performances make these sections more bearable.

The Direction :
As mentioned before this series is divided in two sections. Saif’s cop story is directed by Vikramaditya and the Gangster story of Nawazuddin Siddiqui is directed by Anurag.
Both the sections have some tonal variation which works well for the series overall as one is a Story narrated by the gangster and the other is of events unfolding in the present day. The tonal shift is not jarring but rather works well somehow.
By far anurag’s directed sections are far better than the sections of saif. It’s more appealing, bloody and in your face. It’s like he got three or four times the budget of his previous films and he went to town with the blood and violence. Rather satisfying to see. Direction and tonally, this is the closest he has come to Martin Scorsese’s style.

Overall :

This is a series produced by Netflix and it is aimed at a worldwide audience. So even though there is some smatterings of a song and dance, some cheesy dialogs, most of it is designed to compete with the rest of the world’s best.
The good news is. This show doesn’t disappoint. It is not artificial. People speak in all sorts of different languages and they haven’t tried to make them speak fake English. Which is a big departure from how previous foreign funded Indian projects have turned out to be.
The action and violence is raw and gritty. It shows how the city of Mumbai / Bombay in the 80s and 90s really looked like without demeaning the city. The dialogs are very realistic.
It remains to be seen where the story leads as this is only the first season. So more on that when season 2 arrives.


Rating :
8/10. If you like, gangster movies and thrillers this series is right up your alley. Fans of the director’s previous works will NOT be disappointed.
This is the content Anurag Kashyap The director of Paanch, Black Friday, Dev D and Gangs of Wasseypur deserves and should be making instead of bull crap like Lust Stories and Bombay Velvet.

Conclusion :

Minor Spoilers. VERY Minor.
The show ends on a cliff-hanger. So be warned. If you want to see something with a satisfying conclusion, odds are… you will have to wait for the better part of this year or the next for the next season. Most of the questions raised in this season are not answered and only a slight hint is given to the rest of the story. I don’t know how many more seasons are planned. But this one does it job. Which is leave you with sort of an anticipation for the next season, not quite satisfied but not left hanging so midway that it will anger you. A perfect job by the makers and Netflix to make sure audiences tune in for the next season.


#intense #dark #gangster #mustWatch #wellActed

Season 2 Review :

I really enjoyed the first season of Sacred Games and was eagerly waiting for the next season despite all the delays and the metoo fakery going on behind the scenes.

Come August 15th and the second season was live at 12am. I didn’t binge it all at once and took 2 days to see all eight episodes. I do this so that my mind doesn’t get overloaded and the review can be more objective.

There are mild spoilers ahead. So be warned.

The first few episodes, nothing really happens. Like serious, they run, they party, nothing moves ahead plot wise. It’s like the writers had enough material for 4 episodes and somehow needed to pad in the rest. That’s not to say its badly made, but it’s all just a wee bit pointless.

Coming to pointless, the most useless character this season is Saif’s Sartaj Singh! Even Gaitonde’s henchmen do more stuff than he does. He is traumatized, he doesn’t get a single thing right till the LAST episode and he is basically a burden on the screenplay.

The Gaitonde section has now lost its epic ‘Scarface’ theme and has moved into silly ‘Agneepath’ territory with smuggling and more stupidity. It’s no longer raw, but he is controlled by the Indian RAW!
Next 4 episodes do move the plot a bit forward with the most interesting character being that of guruji who is part osho, part hitler… Atleast he adds some sort of life into the boring proceedings so far. In the present Sartaj Singh is still being a huge moron…

Thing only heat up in the last two episodes. I liked these two episodes the most as almost the entire payoff of season 1 happens in these episodes and a LOT of unanswered questions get their resolution during this time.

The last episode is not as satisfying as it could have been and let me just say this…
THERE IS NO POINT in seeing this entire season until they assure us that there will be a SEASON 3. Its like seeing Back to the future 2 without any promise of part 3. Or seeing Matrix Reloaded before they confirm the next part. Let’s just say, hold your horses, this season is barely OK as it is and without the next season, it will not give any sort of satisfaction.

Rating: For me season 1 was a solid 8/10. This season is a more tepid 6/10. Not unwatchable but ultimately in the end, it’s pointless to see right now.

More Spoilers, but still MINOR ones.

P.S : The way they sort of wrap up characters in this season 2, I feel they know there will be no season 3. That’s it, the END. Because plot wise everything is sort of wrapped up and answered. But the show ends without any resolution and there is REALLY not enough material for another season. But maybe leaving the show hanging was the plan all along? But trust me, seeing this will only add to the feeling of despair as the ending is REALLY not satisfying in the least bit.

The opening two lines of Sacred Games go thus – ‘Bhagwaan ko maanta hai?’ … ‘Bhagwaan ko lu@d farak padta hai.’ (Do you believe in God? God gives a fu&k).

In between the two lines is a camera shot of a dog lying in a pool of blood – belonging to a small-town-rags to riches Bollywood actress, thrown down from a high rise by a cocaine-snorting co-actor.

You then agree ace directors Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap have finally given the world, Asia’s counter-punch to Narcos.

With the internet flooding with Sacred Games' season 1's memes and your friends pestering you for days, you must have either already watched it, or looking for a little bit of free time to.
Two reasons you should definitely watch the new Netflix show Sacred Games: Saif Ali Khan, playing the honest police officer Sartaj Singh, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, playing the gangster who considers himselves to be God, Ganesh Gaitonde. They have given us one of the very best of their performances till date, and by the end of it you cannot separate the actor from the character, because they are their character.
Radhika Apte as Anjali Mathur, a RAW Agent, who also did a great job, however is shadowed by these two. While she plays the third most important role on the show, it seems like the show could've been done without her.
Apart from this, the show, based on Vikram Chandra's book with the same name, certainly has a hook to it. It makes you want to keep knowing more about Sartaj and Gaitonde's life and you get excited each time you gather more clues about what will happen in Bombay in 25 days and why Trivedi will be the only survivor, as Gaitonde narrated to Sartaj over a phone call before he shot himself dead. However, the show proceeds at a slow pace, and ones like me who do not always enjoy mafia or crime content may not enjoy this as much, but will still watch till the end for the suspense. While season 1 overall does not reveal much about what Gaitonde warned Sartaj about, and he tried to investigate with Anjali, it has several other things going on, most of it related to Gaitonde's gang. There is rivarly, murder and sex, and blackmails to Sartaj from his boss relating to another case.
In short, should you watch it because everyone is? Certainly not. You should watch it if you have an appetite for violence and mob drama, and also patience.

It’s a rare feat for an artist to match their artistry with their ambition. There have been numerous examples where either one succeeds the other. A good example of this would be Anand L. Rai’s 2018 outing ‘Zero’, an ambitious film that was bogged down by a highly contrived narrative. Unfortunately, the second season of the highly anticipated show ‘Sacred Games’ falls into the same category. It’s ambitious, imaginative, timely, and brave, yet it falls into the ploy of conventional storytelling and character tropes. It never rises above the virtuosity of its concept. Everything is done on the surface and much has been left to dig inside the brilliant characters that it puts on the screen.
The plot continues from where it was left in the first season. The day is 13 and the clock is ticking. The present time shows Sartaj and his team, now also including his rival Majid (Played effectively by Aamir Bashir), searching Mumbai for clues regarding the attack mentioned by Gaitonde over a telephonic conversation to Sartaj while the flashbacks show how Gaitonde was rescued and turned into a pawn in the master-plan of Guruji. It’s a plot stuffed with a lot (examples- lynchings, Hindu-Muslim segregation, and politics) and everything happens at a break-neck speed which prevents the viewer from investing in some of the subplots. A perfect example would be the lynching scene of a young Muslim boy. It’s a brave and timely addition to the main plot and its shot in a nerve-wracking way but there’s no emotional heftiness added to it which prohibits the subplot to blend in seamlessly. Yes, you still care about Sartaj and want to figure out the master-plan of Guruji but that is the doing of the brilliant first season rather than a byproduct of this season.
But that’s not to say that all is lost, far from it. There are lots to love too. Some new characters do shine. Like Jojo, played ferociously by Surveen Chawla. Jojo runs a successful brothel but wants to end her life due to some tragic incident. She fails every time as she lacks the courage to do so. She has been given some of the best scenes which further adds remarkable layers to her presence. One more such character is Majid, whose character arch is some of the best writings of this show. The way his character has been developed is what I wanted for all the other characters. One of the main reasons why this character works is the incredible performance delivered by Aamir Bashir who infuses Majid with incredible vulnerability. Saif Ali Khan reprises the role of Sartaj, an anxiety-driven and recently divorced police officer who loses himself while solving the mystery of attacks. Saif is as good as ever portraying the fear and vulnerability of the character with subtlety and care. He makes Sartaj, a breathing embodiment of the human tragedy that this show relies upon. Nawazuddin also reprises his role as Ganesh Gaitonde and delivers one of his best perfromances. His character is that of a robust, confused, revenge-driven gangster who becomes part of a game much bigger than himself and Nawazuddin gets each of the mentioned aspects to bang on. He completely hides his real self and becomes Gaitonde. It's one of his best performances and keeping in mind the kinds of role Nawazuddin has pulled off in the past, that's saying something.

I seriously don't have the appropriate words to describe this series. It is an #intense series revolving around the life of its characters and is a #mustWatch for all those Nawaz fans out there. It has a #dark and #psychologicalThriller impact to itself. The character of Gaitonde played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been praised the most due to its boldness and intensity. While the character of Sartaj played by Saif Ali Khan still has its faces to be revealed. Everyone is eagerly waiting for Season 2. Though Radhika Apte had a very small role but still she played her part very well and managed to make an impact on the audience.

Right from the amazing screenplay to the well crafted dialogues, from the beautiful edgy script to the excellent cast and its wonderful acting, there appears a dearth of adjectives that could aptly justify this brilliantly composed and directed magnum opus based on Vikram Chandra's acclaimed work by the same name. From 'sweet' Katekar (whose death makes you gasping for breath) to his badass wife, from the strong Anjali, the beautiful Kukoo, the infallible gangster Gaitonde to the ethical cop, Sartaj, this show gives you characters that are bound to stick with you for a long time to come. The titles of the episodes and the title song are beautifully composed. The minuscule details are just amazing. The show leaves you with some questions, wondering if hate is perhaps the only secular emotion.

‘Sacred games’ is a star studded Netflix original and is one of the most hyped shows of 2018. The show has a series of flashback events with the present day storyline. The show has an intriguing factor and is very captivating. It is the story of Ganesh Gaitonde, who rose from nothing to be one of the most feared gangsters in Mumbai and an honest police officer Sartaj Singh who tries to unravel the mystery of his life. The show has its own series of twists and turns and extensive quirks. I personally did not find the show as fascinating as I expected it to be. There were several moments where the show became extremely slow paced and slightly boring as well. But still I look forward to second season to find the answers to the cliffhanger left hanging at the end of the series.

Sacred Games a web series that changed the perspective of people towards Indian web series. It is the first Netflix original series in India. It is a thriller series based on the novel Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra. It is directed by Anurag Kashyap one of India’s amazing director. He did an amazing job. This show features Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte in the lead role. What less can you expect from these great actors, they all did an amazing job. It a crime mystery which is beautifully portrayed by Anurag Kashyap. Saif Ali Khan played the part of a Police Officer Sartaj Singh who receives a call from Ganesh Gaitonde played by Nawazuddin Siddique who tell him to save the city within 25 days. In the beginning of the series Ganesh Gaitonde kills himself and later on in the series his past story is shown. It can be watched on the Netflix site and app. It is a must watch for the people who like thriller shows.

The perfect cat and mouse chase to be watched in 21st century.

Adapted from Vikram Chandra's novel, this mini series can be titles one of the best adaptations made by Indian Filmmakers. One's who have read the actual novel would say that a lot of plot twists and engaging parts were either eliminated or not executed as brilliantly as it were wrote by Vikram Chandra but, with the limitations of filmmaking in the Indian scenario, especially for a web series, Sacred Games couldn't be made any better. I have read the book after I had watched the series and yes, I felt a bit less connected to some of the characters and their relationship in the series than in the book but, not everything can be projected with every detail from a text to on screen.

Sacred Games might come of as a typical cat and mouse chase between police and a gangster but it is so filled with pot twists, emotions, cliffhangers, it will attract every single Indian to watch this and will keep them engaged throughout. From episode 1 to episode 8, the perfect grasp on characters, emotions and the plot, Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap have made a master piece. I guess this will be added as another raw emotion wrecking work by Anurag Kashyap, adding onto his collection after Gangs of Wasseypur.

Lastly, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Saif Ali Khan have nailed their character. While I might not be a fan of Saif, his work in Sacred Games have earned my respect. Nawazuddin Siddiqui owned the character of Ganesh Gaitonde. There couldn't have been any other person on this planet to play the role. His acting, his dialogue deliverance, every single thing was top notch. The whole country went frenzy for his character and started to act like him who is rather playing the antagonist in the series. One of the best villains of this country. Nawazuddin Siddique deserves all respect for his amazing work.

Whoever hasn't watched it yet, go watch it because, "kabhi kabhi sabko bhagwaan banne ka mann toh hota hai"

Sacred Games is one such web series which makes you eager to binge watch all the episodes of it only to figure out what will happen next at every point in the entire series. As per my opinion It keeps you engaged with the story and makes you guessing what will happen next, the thrill and suspense wins the hearts of viewers. So, those who are very much fond of mystery types of series which involves sharp actions and clever strategies will find out this web series to be the best to begin with. To add fun you can watch this series with your group so that you keep discussing about it and enjoy the thrill of this series.

Sacred games directed by Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane had sent waves all across the country. The story revolves around a phone call which was made by a well-known gangster called Gaitonde played by the award winning actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui to a troubled police office Sartaj Singh played by none other than Saif Ali Khan who was asked to save the city in 25 days. This series is dark and thrilling, with each episodes leaving us wanting for more, Sacred Games had really set a bench mark for all other Indian series. Nawazuddin plays his character so effortlessly that there would be a moment no, correction moments that we feel that Nawazuddin was always a gangster instead of an actor, Anurag Kashyap does a great job in showing the Mumbai underworld and how clashes between different gangs work. The transition of Gaitonde from a low level thief to Mumbai’s most notorious gangster is beautifully portrayed by the storyline. Coming to Saif’s role as a failed and depressed policeman Sartaj Singh- he exceeds everyone’s expectations. Vikramaditya Motwane shows the Police world, the corruption and the fights over moralities exhibited by different policemen in a way like never before
The series starts with a dog falling off from an apartment whose significance in the series’ plot is later shown in the coming episodes, a scene like this was enough to capture the grimness this series had to offer to us. The coming episodes shows different stories and how it is related to Gaitonde and his statement of how the city will be destroyed in 25 days. A constant cat and mouse chase, yet the series satisfies its audience.
Other notable performances include – Radhika Apte who is playing a RAW agent, Jatin Sarna as “Bunty” , Kubra Sait as Kukko and the performance delivered by Jitendra Joshi as Constable Katekar will forever more be etched in our memories.

'sacred Games' adapted from Vikram Chandra's 2006 novel opens the latest front in Netflix's international campaign.
The series begins with a bang, as Sartaj singh (saif Ali Khan) is contacted by an anonymous caller who sits Wizard-of-Oz like, before a bank of computer monitors, distorting his voice and masking his location. The caller turns out to be Ganesh Gaitonde(Nawaziddin Siddiqui) a
notorious Mumbai criminal who's been missing for years and thought dead. Gaitonde warns Sartaj about the unspecified event that will strike Mumbai in 25 days. The role of Singh played by Saif Ali Khan was a role of an honest cop. The whole story revolvers around the gangster Gaitonde. As Radhika Apte's character, a foreign intelligence officer, begins to have a bigger story, she also magnifies the appeal of the series. It is a story about good versus evil. Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwani who share directing duties have made classic noir story, complete with layered central character, a damsel in distress of a city and corruption that goes all the way to the top.
Ganesh Gaitonde is particularly memorable character that will for years remain a highlight of Nawaz's already legendary body of work.
In the end I would like to suggest you that if you have watched Netflix shows that for sure you have to watch this amazing show .#mustWatch

It’s a great star for Indian home production from Netflix. What I loved about this series is its originality and how writers have been able to skillfully adapt vikram chandra’s novel into the series. What is commendable is that it is a pure Indian story with complex characters. City of Mumbai plays a huge role and the way this series showcases Indian mythology, history and culture in different but amazing light. A huge credit for such brilliance goes to the directors Anurag Kashyap and Vikramditya Motwane for their excellent direction. If you want to see a powerful web series with plenty of stories and loads of action, SACRED GAMES is just the right stuff for you. I watched this crime-action series just out of curiosity and now I will await its next season with a lot of excitement. #intense #mustWatch #political #exciting #amazing

Mumbai keeps many secrets but this secret needs to be unveil because lot of lives will be compromised if not known in time.Characters driven show which intervenes story of two lives .Many would like the hero but the villain is as much heroic.Suspense unfolds itself as the episodes moves on.Involvement of R.A.W agents who helps the police to find the true criminal.Famous gangster who ruled Mumbai whole life is now trying to save it but nobody knows him truly and his motives behind every moves he takes.Story of a policemen,gangster,RAW and people whose life is at stake.Mumbai police is corrupted but there is someone who is ready to give up his uniform as far as he can bring justice back to the system.Every twists,plots and turns are planned to deceive ,but the thrill lies on knowing who is the real impostor .When things go smooth ,show goes twisted.

Sacred Games is an Indian crime thriller by Netflix. It came into limelight because it was the first Indian original series by Netflix. It is based on a book of the same name by Vikram Chandra. And true to the hype, it delivered. Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte take you into the underbelly of crime in Mumbai. It's commercial appeal as well as critical acclaim is the reason for it's huge success. The story, the dialogues, the narration, all make you excited for what's ahead. Season 1 finished on a cliffhanger and that is one of the many reasons why people are so eagerly waiting for the second season.