Monisha Singh Katial reviews Sacred Games

Sacred Games Desi Narcos, the addictive variety!

What’s it about?

There’s a threat looming large on Mumbai and something dangerous is about to happen. Sartaj Singh, an honest cop, must do what it takes to save the city. He has less than a month - actually just 25 days…..And so the countdown begins.

Clearly, one of the most awaited and highly hyped shows, ‘Sacred Games’ is the first of the original Indian series on Netflix. An adaptation of the book by writer and novelist Vikram Chandra with the same name, Sacred Games is a show that deftly captures the dark underbelly of Mumbai’s gritty underworld. 

Freed from the shackles of the Indian censor board, ace film maker Anurag Kashyap comes into his own – unleashing a narrative full of twists, turns and bold sex scenes even.

Sample this - former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi is called a faggot and there are lines such as “desh mein pradhan mantri aise badal rahe the jaise chaddi.” 

Aiding and abetting is his partner in this delicious crime story - Vikram Aditya Motwane. And together they pull off superb direction, camerawork, music and intense story telling. 

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Binge-worthy 

The way Mumbai has been captured in each frame, the reconstruction of scenes, detailing of characters and screenplay makes Sacred Games binge-worthy. What shows through is the earnest behind-the-scenes prep and time well spent at each stage from pre to the post. 

All performances are outstanding, but the show belongs to Nawazuddin. He is delectably dangerous as gangster Ganesh Gaitonde, and his gripping voice over adds to the effect.

The others complete the picture. Length of the roles notwithstanding, each performance is memorable. Neeraj Kabi, Kubra Sait, Radhika Apte, Jeetendra Joshi and Jatin Sarna deserve to be named here. And then comes the star - Saif Ali Khan as the truthful police officer Sartaj Singh who has the arduous task to save the city. Amidst stellar performances, he puts in his best – a restrained act, but one does expect more.

A nagging shortcoming for me though is the absence of any hard-hitting dialogues or iconic lines that can live on – a trademark of Anurag Kashyap that is woefully missing here.

But to sum it up, if you’re a fan of a no-holds-barred desi version of the dark underworld ‘Narcos’ kinda stories, this one’s definitely for you,

Sacred Games gets a 4/5.

About Monisha Singh Katial
Monisha Singh Katial is unquestionably multi-talented, but her core expertise lies in creating content. She has been churning out content for an impressive 18 years now. Whether it is for fiction-based shows or the harsh realities of television, she has done it all and how! Her experience has made her somewhat of an expert on effective content for the television and web. She has been associated with Balaji Telefilms, UTV, and Zoom. Apart from driving various aspects of the entertainment industry, she is a homemaker and mother of two. Take her word on what to watch. We know we do!