Sacred Games
Cast - Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, Neeraj Kabi, Aamir Bashir, Pankaj Tripathi
Rating - 4/5
Netflix’s first Hindi original web series Sacred Games is out and from the first 3 episodes, it can be safely said that the drama has all the elements that make for a binge-worthy show.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays Gaitonde, a don with a God complex with a rather morbid back story. He chooses Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan) to tell his story and it is implied that the two have a connection via Sartaj’s father. Gaitonde warns Sartaj about the looming danger that will destroy Mumbai in the next 25 days and that is what forms the basic plot of this show. Saif’s Sartaj is a morally righteous man who refuses to lie. He stands for the principles that his father once stood for and is ready to take the fall for his ethics. In the first few episodes, the drama cuts between the stories of these two men and we see how they are both looking for a breakthrough in their respective lives.

As far as the performances are concerned, we see an angry Saif Ali Khan who is upset about the corruption that has seeped into the system. His personal life is on the rocks and his career too hangs by a thin rope. Saif’s Sartaj is caught in a dilemma and his performance conveys it quite effectively. Nawazuddin’s Gaitonde appears to be a psychopath, the kind who can kill without guilt and move on like nothing ever happened.

Based on the novel of the same name by Vikram Chandra, Sacred Games is directed by Vikramaditya Motwane (of Udaan, Lootera and Trapped fame) and Anurag Kashyap. The show’s writing team boasts of names like Varun Grover, Smita Singh and Vasant Nath.