Pinkvilla Picks: 5 reasons why Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin's Sacred Games is a must watch series amid lockdown

With the increase in the number of COVID 19 cases in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended the lockdown till May 17th. And given the rapidly rising positive cases, the lockdown doesn’t seem to end anytime soon and is being considered as the need of the hour. Amid the Coronavirus outbreak, since theatres across the nation are shut, and shootings stalled, what comes as a ray of hope for all movies-buffs are the OTT platforms. While we do have to depend on the OTT platforms, choosing what to watch is also quite tedious.

However, our Pinkvilla picks is here for your rescue with a Hindi series that you can binge-watch amid the lockdown. And today's series of the day is Netflix's thriller Sacred Games. Based on Vikram Chandra's 2006 novel of the same name, Sacred Games is the first Netflix original series in India and is directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, Anurag Kashyap and Neeraj Ghaywan. The series starring Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the lead actors has two seasons in total. The first season released on Netflix on 5 July 2018 while the second released on 15 August 2019. 

While there are many reasons for you to binge-watch this thriller series, we would like to give you 5 reasons why Sacred Games is a must watch series:

1. Nawazuddin Siddiqui

This brilliant actor can be the sole purpose for you to start binging this Netflix original. From being a small junior artist to becoming Ganesh Gaitonde we all have witnessed his journey. Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Ganesh Gaitonde, a troubled don is simply a pleasure to watch. From dialogues like, “Kabhi kabhi lagta hai apun hi bhagwan hai” to “Pradhanmantri se number liya parliament apne baap ka hai” we all root and cheer for Gaitonde the whole time. Nawazuddin plays it with so much dedication and style that he could be the only thing that could pump anyone to start binging this series.

2. Saif Ali Khan

Saif Ali Khan’s journey in Indian cinema has been spectacular. From being the boy next door in Dil Chahta Hai to playing a sadhu in Laal Kaptaan, he has captured all our hearts. Inspector Sartaj Singh from Sacred Games will always be an integral part of his career. He has played it with such seriousness and energy that we start feeling for his character from the first frame. It's his character that takes us throughout the 2 seasons of the series and Saif’s portrayal of a troubled and sincere cop battling demons inside and outside his head is something to watch out for.

3. Stellar Supporting Cast

Sacred Games is no less than a Bollywood star-studded blockbuster. The series already boasts of Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui as its leads but it also boasts a lineup of Pankaj Tripathi, Radhika Apte, Kalki Koechlin, Ranvir Shorey, Jatin Sarma, Neeraj Kabi and Amruta Subhash as its supporting cast. Their realistic portrayal of their roles and their form makes this series much more alive and their characters larger than life. From Radhika Apte playing Anjali Mathur in the 1st season to Pankaj Tripathi playing the most eccentric Guruji in the 2nd season, if this exciting and most talented cast doesn’t grab your attention and excitement then we seriously don’t know what would. 

4. Story and Dialogues

Based on Vikram Chandra’s novel of the same name, this Emmy Nominated crime drama is one of the most thrilling and addictive Indian series out there in the field. The eccentric story of a don Ganesh Gaitonde, calling troubled police officer Sartaj Singh and telling him to save Mumbai within 25 days is compelling enough to make one sit through 2 seasons of this thriller. What makes this story even more amazing is the dialogues, written by Varun Grover, Smita Singh and Vasant Nath. From street level philosophies to gaalis, the writing is what makes this series worth your time, dedication and attention.

5. Director combo

Sacred Games is special in a lot of ways. The most interesting and attention-grabbing fact would be that the series is helmed by 3 very bold directors, Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Neeraj Ghaywan. Both seasons were split into 2 and shot. The 1st season was directed by the duo Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane. While portions involving Ganesh Gaitonde was helmed by the very talented Gangs of Wasseypur director Anurag Kashyap for both seasons, the portions involving Inspector Sartaj Singh was helmed by Vikramaditya Motwane in the 1st season. Vikramaditya Motwane was replaced by the very talented Masaan director Neeraj Ghaywan. The 2nd season of the series was nominated in the International Emmy Awards 2019 under the Best Drama category.