Netflix (NFLX) shareholders, like myself, are delighted that our investment in the streaming service company has exceeded expectations. Our “shared” delight can partly be attributed to the company’s robust expansion into international markets which accounted for 48% of its earnings in Q1 of 2018. First quarter international streaming revenues generated $1.78 billion for Netflix. The entertainment provider’s attempt to swoon, gain from and relate to the world’s second largest internet market, India, is in part responsible for the increase in growth, as the tech company sources South Asia for users and content.

I love film content from India. I’m a fan of its commercial, regional and parallel film industry. One of my main access to Indian films has been through my subscription to Netflix, the absolute best provider for international content over any other American based video streaming service. Recently, Netflix’s selection in streaming options from Latin America, Western Europe and Asia has been remarkable. Where India is concerned, in the past my Netflix streaming options would likely be a commercial hit from the Hindi-language Mumbai based film industry (Bollywood). I, however, was more geared towards the meagre selection of less commercial independent choices available at the time. Then something began to change. 

My Netflix linked e-mail became inundated with the more than usual suggestions-you-might-like alert from India. I noticed a lot more Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam film choices from the South (not many Bengali or Marathi, which are my faves), and a better cross-section of Hindi-language content not solely driven by the “over 100 crore” or  “who’s the hero or heroine” phenomena. What interested me, even more, are the original Indian-based content premiering. First there was “Loev” (2015), a film directed by Sudhanshu Saria, that I’ve been planning to write about, eventually. If you haven’t seen it, you must!  Then there is “Lust Stories”, -the follow up to Bombay Talkies that still has Anurag Kashyap’s and Zoya Akhtar’s involvement, which makes it another must see. (Neha Dhupia is great in it, and Vicky Kaushal is golden, as always)

Now there is “SACRED GAMES”, an adaptation of the novel by Vikram Chandra developed into an eight-part mini-series which premiered on Netflix (USA) on 6th-July. It sparked my interest, immediately. Here’s why?

Phantom Films is involved. Phantom is my favorite and possibly one of the best production/distribution house in Hindi-language cinema at the moment (Mukkabaaz, Trapped, Masaan, Raman Raghav 2.0, Queen, Lootera). The Phantom team are forward thinkers who seem to know how to reach the overlooked fringe audience that demands a bit more from filmmakers than the usual been-there-done-that stories.

Each of the eight episodes are co-directed by Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane. Need I say more? These guys are on the pulse of what’s vibrating in society today, especially amidst the youth. Two of the most cutting-edge and ground-breaking directors in or outside of India. They are to India, what Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is to Mexico.

Saif Ali Khan, Radhika Apte and Nawazuddin Siddiqui are among the main characters. I did have my reservations about Saif carrying an eight episode series, internationally. Unfortunately, because he hasn’t had many recent commercial successes at the box office, I tend to forget how brilliant he is as an actor. He’s always been a risk taker, and I think with “Sacred Games”, his time has come. Again.

Netflix productions operate outside the confines of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), so filmmakers are more at liberty to express their work without threats from the guillotine of censorship.

Okay, I started watching the first episode. Man, I don’t know. I have to take my dosage of crime on film sporadically. Is this just another story of good cop versus bad cop versus gangster. Is it?…. You know what, there must be a reason why I keep rewinding to the 13th minute which begins to expose a bit of Saif’s character’s back story. I can’t believe this, but I think I am beginning to care about his character over all, so far. I thought it would be Nawazuddin’s role, but no, it’s actually Saif’s. His acting and story are pulling me in.  It’s a good start when an actor/director can get the audience to emotionally connect and care about what’s happening on screen. I’m connecting.  I care enough to move on to the second episode.

Episode two:  So far, It is the good cop versus bad cop versus gangster theme, but with Kashyap and Motwane at the helm, I can expect the unexpected. Saddiqui is the best at what he does, and believe me he is great in this series, but I think he is again typecast, which makes his presence here a bit trite, but there are still six more episodes to go. Radhika Apte’s brilliance shines through. She has her own story developing which isn’t intertwined with that of the male lead (just yet). Apte has always played assertive and independent roles which is also evident in this series. Seeing the minimal screen time she has with Saif in the scene outside the police station, I can’t wait to see them share more screen time in future episodes. They beam so much tense chemistry with so little dialogue; I sense conflict.

“Sacred Games” is a tale of Mumbai. A tale of any given city: the connections between grit, crime, film industry glamour and political and law enforcement corruption. If you think you’ve seen it all before, you have, but I suggest you see it all over again through the lens of Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Phantom Films as the series develop around Siddiqui’s character’s prophetic warnings and flashbacks through the decades. I am already intrigued by the developing plot lines, the directing, the back stories, Saif and Radhika’s pending shared onscreen time, the musical scoring, the introduction of Elnaaz Nourouzi’s character (her debut!!!), and of course Nawazuddin’s character’s development, because I know he has a lot in store for us. I’m only on episode two, and I think I am in. I am so in. Sacred Games is binge watching worthy, folks. Only to be interrupted by the football world cup. #CinepicksTME

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