Saif Ali Khan is debuting on the digital platform with web series Sacred Games (Courtesy YouTube) Highlights Sacred Games also features Radhika Apte, Nawazuddin Siddiqui Sacred Games premieres on July 6 Sacred Games is based on author Vikram Chandra's novel Saif Ali Khan, who features in Netflix series Sacred Games, said that he would produce something similar to his upcoming web series if given a chance, news agency IANS reported. Saif said: "Given an opportunity, I would have produced something exactly like this for a platform like Netflix." Saif Ali Khan will be seen playing cop Sartaj Singh in Netflix's Sacred Games, which premieres on July 6. Saif added that the kind of series he would make will not be the conventional love stories rather something more exciting like a "cop-mafia" series. "It would not be a family drama or a love story but a cop-mafia story set in Mumbai because I think such stories are really romantic. It is interesting to watch how the lack of opportunity that the poor suffer makes them develop their set of surviving strategy," IANS quoted Saif Ali Khan saying. Sacred Games has been adapted from author Vikram Chanda's novel with the same title. The 47-year-old actor said that the series is not an exact adaptation since there are certain things which have been changed. "There are certain changes made because of the change of media from book to audio-visual. So, the screenplay is a little different. In the book, my character is quite passive and internal. That looks dull on-screen, so we made it little external," Saif told IANS. To prepare for his character, Saif said he read the book, which helped him understand his role better. The first impressions ofare positive. In his review for NDTV, film critic Saibal Chatterjee wrote : "This dark thriller, jointly directed by long-time collaborators Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap, has been filmed largely on real locations. It looks primed to be India's answer to Narcos - and then some. Thanks to the editing and the evocative background score, Sacred Games throbs with life as death and danger stalk the streets of Mumbai. "Radhika Apte and Nawazuddin Siddiqui also have significant roles in the eight-episode series. While Nawazuddin plays antagonist Ganesh Gaitonde, Radhika plays RAW agent Anjali Mathur. Of playing the role of criminal Gaitonde in, Nawazuddin Siddiqui told IANS: "The script was written with a lot of details and because the story told in eight episodes, which means an eight-hour show. As an actor, I got a chance to go close to the character. t has a much nuanced portrayal on-screen. It has not only given me a chance to go deeper into the character but also explore the possibility to work on a scene better."<doc-sep>Saif Ali Khan in a still from Sacred Games (Courtesy YouTube) Highlights This guy lives a sad life, he lives alone," said Saif Ali Khan Saif plays the role of a cop named Sartaj Singh in Sacred Games "He's addicted to sleeping pills in the day just to stay calm," Saif said Saif Ali Khan stars in a new web show, Sacred Games directed by Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane. The story is set in Mumbai, it follows the life of gangster Ganesh Gaitonde played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Saif plays Sartaj Singh, a Sikh cop who has got in touch with Gaitonde. In this interview with NDTV, Saif speaks about his character, the new trend of web shows and how these platforms will not be a threat to cinema halls. Q: Before doing a show on Netflix, were you watching any web shows? Saif Ali Khan: "Yes, I did watch a lot of shows like Narcos, Crown, Stranger Things, House Of Cards, etc. I consume a lot of web shows, I like good content. I don't watch TV; I am a web show audience." Q: So the show will just be available online. It won't be anything like your movie release where you can go to the cinemas and get reactions from people. There won't be ticket sales. How is all this different for you? Saif Ali Khan: "I don't know it's new for all of us. I am guessing, it will be reviewed. It's a different platform for us like how theatre is one kind of a platform. This is something really cool, it caters to a vast audience. On the web, you get time to tell a story; it's a premium show. It's one more platform to be on, which can reach so many people at the same time. You will be compared to the shows from other parts of the world. There is an international tone to it. There's freedom of expression, which is something we are quite touchy about. We get a chance to do something of high quality work." Q: Freedom of expression is very important, and this kind of a story needed just that. The way this gangster talks, it has a lot of abusive language. You think this kind of a story would be possible in Indian cinemas? Or is web the best platform because there is no censorship? Saif Ali Khan: "Ya, I think it would be possible in cinemas too, apart from a couple of words here and there. We have our own struggles with our censorship, and we have reached somewhere, things get passed. There is red tape sometimes, and you have to go to a reviewing committee, but most of the time with an adult certificate you can tell your story the way you want. We just saw Veere Di Wedding had colourful language, but people felt it's right for girls to talk that way so it got passed and audience also accepted it. So here if we are telling the story of this gangster, Ganesh Gaitonde's language will be a certain way, the character will be violent, so a little bit of bad language might be required. It's up to the production house to be mature about that and not get over excited about it." Q:Sacred Games is based on a very popular book by Vikram Chandra, have you read the book? Saif Ali Khan: "I've read bits of it. I couldn't read the whole thing. By the time the book came to me, I had to read the script also, so it was one or the other, so I read the script. The book happens in the character's head; he is a passive character. They have changed it a bit. There is a short story called Love & Longing, which is very informative about Sartaj Singh, my character." Q: For those who have not read the book, what kind of a cop and gangster chase is this? "It's a perfect story to tell. For a Netflix original from India right at the start, this is what I would also pick. It's a vast story about a unique city. We were able to shoot all over the city because the digital equipment is light and very mobile, I don't think we could have done this a few years ago. This one story connects the mafia, underworld, cops, movie stars and politicians. The nexus of connection is interesting; a tight thriller about this big city coming to an end. This city is amazing, affluent people sit in their drawing room, and then you go to the kitchen and people working have a totally different existence, then you go down to the driver and he has his own story. There are multiple cities in this city, which sometimes we are unaware about. "What kind of a cop is Sartaj Singh? "In my mind, Sartaj Singh would be a tough guy. So I included somes in my diet and learned a little bit of Punjabi. I am used to hearing Punjabi; it's such a second language in the film industry. Heard it all my life but never spoke. There is a lot of drama in the role. This guy lives a sad life, he lives alone. He is addicted to sleeping pills in the day just to stay calm. His career is going nowhere, he is thinking about killing himself. He is under pressure to be corrupt. "What was your reaction when you were informed that two directors would direct this show? "I thought it's such a nice idea, what I am happy about is that they put their best directors forward. Often it happens that when you are experimenting with a new format, people would be like okay let's give this to our assistant to direct. Of course, this is for Netflix so they would put the best team and they did. Vikramaditya shot my scenes, and Anurag shot Gaitonde's story with Nawaz, which is a flashback set in the 80s. "Every time Netflix releases a big show, the debate about streaming vs cinemas starts.<doc-sep>Netflix’s Sacred Games review: This Netflix series, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Saif Ali Khan, is off to a good start and has all the elements that make it binge-worthy. Netflix’s Sacred Games review: This Netflix series, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Saif Ali Khan, is off to a good start and has all the elements that make it binge-worthy. Sacred Games review: Netflix’s first Hindi original web series Sacred Games is out and from the initial few 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. Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Gaitonde is a cold-blooded killer. Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Gaitonde is a cold-blooded killer. The original score by Alokananda Dasgupta enhances the thrill quotient and the editing, by Aarti Bajaj, is sharp enough to keep you hooked through the episodes. Sacred Games: Netflix’s First Indian Original Series 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. We want to believe that it is because of their adaptation that you want to know even more about the conflicted characters and their story. Also Read | Anurag Kashyap: Vikram Chandra has written amazing love letters to Vikramaditya Motwane after watching Sacred Games The drama’s bigger story arc and the individual character stories go hand-in-hand and at no point does one overpower the other. Dubbed as India’s answer to Narcos, it is yet to be seen if this show will deliver what it promises in the beginning. Saif Ali Khan’s Sartaj is a righteous man who is stuck in a corrupt system. Saif Ali Khan’s Sartaj is a righteous man who is stuck in a corrupt system. Netflix has become a prominent destination when it comes to entertainment and with projects like Lust Stories and now Sacred Games, this looks like a good start. Also Read | Sacred Games actor Saif Ali Khan: Cop-mafia stories are really romantic Sacred Games is off to a great start and in the times when an intriguing web series is hard to find, this one will surely stand out.<doc-sep>Sacred games lead actors share their experience of being part of a Netflix series. Sacred games lead actors share their experience of being part of a Netflix series. Caught in the whirlwind of promotions, the three lead actors of the latest Netflix series Sacred Games – Radhika Apte, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Saif Ali Khan – seem slightly dazed when we meet them in a suburban hotel in Mumbai. As they ponder over the question regarding their experience of being part of the Mumbai underworld drama based on a book of same name by Vikram Chandra, Apte says, “I have been watching so many amazing shows on Netflix. So, to be in one of them is wonderful. It is exciting that audience in 190 countries will watch it together.” The actor, who plays a RAW agent, looks around and tells her colleagues: “There, I have answered for everybody.” Khan, who is enjoying his delayed lunch, chips in, “We will be compared to a lot of international shows as well as actors. The cultural requirement and tone for the show are more international. It’s liberating for actors to compete internationally.” Siddiqui expresses his satisfaction over the fact that in a show like this, an actor gets to work on his character in detail. Khan recalls how at the beginning of his career, Sameer Malkan, director of Mein Khiladi Tu Anari advised Khan never to play a cop. “He said: ‘Since you are too cute and young, it would be tough to play a cop convincingly.’ But for the show, I have gone ahead and played a Mumbai-based Sikh cop. So some effort was needed to be bigger physically, appear to be a tough guy and to speak Punjabi,” says Khan. For Siddiqui, Ganesh Gaitonde — his character — is more complex as compared to the other gangster roles he has played earlier. “You can’t gauge his mood. There is an internal struggle going on within him. It is a character with depth,” he says. Apte, who didn’t know about RAW agents at all, got acquainted with the intelligence agency through the show. “A lot of research was done for this role. That fascinated me. That apart, my character is a strong and independent woman. While her seniors want her to be behind the desk, she aspires to be a field agent,” says Apte. The series was launched on July 6 and the audience can watch the eight episodes of the first season at one go. “It’s always better to watch a show on the big screen. However, it is not possible to watch all eight episodes in theatres,” says Apte. Khan admits that he has trouble with the small screen. “This changes the whole morality around making a show. However, since Sacred Games is a premium show for Netflix, they have taken a lot of care for art direction and production,” he says. Also Read | Govt sees Sacred Games smoke, mulls expanding anti-tobacco Working on the show took Khan to different parts of Mumbai that he had not explored before. “When I was shooting in Punjab Society, I was using the bathroom and kitchen meant to be my character Sartaj Singh’s,” he says. Enthused by the experience on the show, he has decided that if he will produce a show for Netflix, it has to be about the mafia. “That would be the best thing to export from our pop culture,” he adds. Will he play the mafia leader in that show? “Maybe, yes. But Nawaz is the best choice for such a role,” he says. Also Read | Delhi HC to hear plea against Netflix show ‘Sacred Games’ for allegedly defaming Rajiv Gandhi Apte has another suggestion. “It would be interesting if Saif and Nawaz reverse the roles they play in Sacred Games,” she says. All those present in the room think that’s a great idea till Khan dismisses it. Pointing to Siddiqui, he says: “You want a thin cop like him and an anglicised mafia man like me?” In response, his co-actors burst out laughing.<doc-sep>
Actor Saif Ali Khan, who has entertained Bollywood buffs with a slew of family dramas, comedies and thrillers in his over two decades long career, says he finds cop-mafia stories -- a genre he is exploring in Netflix series Sacred Games—romantic. The actor has himself produced films like Go Goa Gone, Agent Vinod and Cocktail. If he had to produce content for the dynamic world of digital entertainment platforms, Saif told IANS: “Given an opportunity, I would have produced something exactly like this (‘Sacred Games’) for a platform like Netflix. “It would not be a family drama or a love story but a cop-mafia story set in Mumbai because I think such stories are really romantic. It is interesting to watch how the lack of opportunity that the poor suffer makes them develop their set of surviving strategy. “Such elements make it a romantic story for the international audience... How they (the poor) get into the crime scene. Universally, we can relate to a situation that exists between rich and poor, people with legitimacy, ingenuity, and yes, there is always a story there.” The story of Sacred Games is adapted from Vikram Chandra’s book of the same name. The novel takes you into the life of police officer Sartaj Singh and into the criminal underworld of Ganesh Gaitonde, the most wanted gangster in India. It is described as a story of friendship and betrayal, of terrible violence, of an astonishing modern city and its dark side. Saif plays Sartaj Singh, while the versatile Nawazuddin Siddiqui steps into the shoes of Gaitonde. Saif says he relied more on the show’s script as a reference point. “There are certain changes made because of the change of media from book to audio-visual. So, the screenplay is a little different. In the book, my character is quite passive and internal. That looks dull on-screen, so we made it little external,” said Saif. “However, reading the book helped me to understand the essence of the character, and I love reading books anyway,” he added. The show’s cast also features actors like Radhika Apte, Rajshri Deshpande and Surveen Chawla. Asked about his opinion on the booming industry of experimental digital entertainment and how the Indian audience is becoming receptive towards it, Saif said: “If we talk about our show, I do not think it is too experimental. Rather it is just the perfect content for the global audience put out on the right platform. “So, while the web gives you the opportunity to do anything (experimental), we have parameters in mind for this kind of show. The story of our show is very Indian, rooted and real and also in the way it is shot. So, the makers have not taken advantage of lack of censorship. “And I think Netflix, as a distributing company, attempted to be true to the content.” Will this show -- out on Friday -- give him a chance to build his audience better globally? Saif said: “It is surely a great platform to reach the greater audience because it reaches 190 countries - big deal. But the intention was not to build my audience out there. It is a good opportunity for the storyteller, so we grabbed it. “Whether it opens doors to be associated with more international projects was not in my mind when I did the show. I think because it is an international format, people in UK or the US that I know, will be watching this show rather than a Bollywood film.” Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-tv_listing-desktop