Sacred Games: An attempted review!

                                             
*Warning: The following content may contain potential spoilers*

Episode 1 starts streaming, it's daytime, and you witness a dog falling from a high rise building and meeting the floor with obvious outcome, smashed out of life. This probably is the first and strongest signal that the content that is about to unfold will be unabashed, uncensored and may be even gore at times. This may sound like a far stretched comparison, but it kind of reminded me of the beginning of Game of Thrones, when Ned Stark beheads the man in front of his sons. Although there are many differences between the 2 scenes, yet both serve the purpose of setting up the tone of the series.

The series, currently streaming on Netflix, is based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Vikram Chandra. Now you have to take into matter that the book in question is a 900-page epic, so to completely justify it through a series will be too difficult to achieve (assuming that it is possible). Yet, the show comes as close to perfect as possible. It tells the story of a feared Mumbai gangster, Ganesh Eknath Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and a dejected cop Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan). It is set in the backdrop of Bombay (modern day Mumbai) and tells the story of the 2 main characters in parallel arcs. What may seem like a little complicated police and thief story at heart, is actually a multi layered tale of Mumbai's mafia interspersed with prominent points in country's history from 1977 till 1993. It all begins with Gaitonde calling Sartaj one night and telling him that he has 25 days to save Mumbai from blowing up, and the reason he calls him is because of some connection with Sartaj's late father who was a virtuous cop. What follows is an intriguing and captivating series of 8 episodes where several significant characters get involved like R.A.W. agent Anjali Mathur (Radhika Apte), DCP Parulkar, Sartaj's constable Katekar and others. The 2 story lines continue in parallel, one depicting the rise and fall of Gaitonde, who thinks that he is above God and the other one showing Sartaj fighting the system and his inner demons with the good that is left in him. While it is set initially who's the good guy and who's the bad one, the narrative often blurs the lines between the two and makes you think hard, all while maintaining its dark and gritty tone.

The 2 story lines are directed by arguably 2 of the finest directors in the country presently. While Vikramaditya Motwane helms the present day narrative involving Saif and Radhika Apte, Anurag Kashyap gets together with his muse Nawazuddin, with the duo adding yet another feather to their combined hats (Gangs of Wasseypur, Raman Raghav 2.0). And after watching both of them, you think that they have done a near perfect job in handling the narratives. The direction is top notch, the complexities and the layers of both the stories are handed brilliantly, and add to that the high production value that the streaming giant brings along, you get a spectacle of a show.

Coming to the performances, Nawazuddin Siddiqui fits the role perfectly. One expects of him to deliver a flawless performance, but he has bested even himself here. The way he gets under the skin of the character, displaying the way too complex shades, and uncountable layers, you can not think of anyone else who could've played this part. And Saif Ali Khan comes as a fantastic surprise. This is a role he will be remembered for years and years to come. He delivers the performance of almost defeated cop with such finesse and also holds back superbly so that he doesn't go overboard with it, one actually starts rooting for his character. Radhika Apte as the R.A.W. agent is in fine form too as her character tries to do the duty and prove a point at the same time. All the other actors, portraying likeable constable Katekar, corrupt cop Parulkar, academy topper Majid, corrupt politician Bhonsle do full justice to their roles.

The writing of the series is top notch and deserves special credit because of the impact it creates on your mind while watching. There is no censorship and that bodes well for depicting the environment the show is set in. And you have to appreciate and applaud the background score. It gives you the chills, the excitement, the goosebumps, and the dejection that it intends to during the show. It is definitely the best for an Indian series and right up there with the best in the business. The high production value added by the streaming giant, combined with such brilliance ends up in a series which is on par with its western counterparts, at some moments definitely.

Highly recommended for a binge watch!