Season 2 of Sacred Games will be helmed by Anurag Kashyap and Neeraj Ghaywan.
Sacred Games Season 2 starts streaming on Netflix today. Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Ganesh Gaitonde and Saif Ali Khan as Sartaj Singh, the first season of the series was loved by viewers. The stellar cast and the impeccable storytelling compelled them to binge the eight episodes of the first season and as it ended on a cliffhanger, viewers are sure to come back for the remainder of the story.
The first season ended with Sartaj Singh discovering a bunker which looked like a safe house in case of a nuclear disaster. The dead inside body carried the ID card of Trivedi and with only a few days until D-day, Sartaj has to figure out the puzzle and stop the disaster.
Sacred Games is being directed by Anurag Kashyap and Neeraj Ghaywan with Vikramaditya Motwane as the showrunner. The show is based on the book of the same name by Vikram Chandra. The book has been ably adapted by Varun Grover, Smita Singh and Vasant Nath.
"Sacred Games season one’s strength was in the writing and the detailing. Here, there’s a new group of writers led by Grover, who build on the original narrative quiet compellingly. Kashyap and co have had a field day in weaving in current pop culture references," writes Ektaa Malik.
Read here | Sacred Games 2 review: Paying for the sins of the Father
Actor Diana Penty tweeted, "Buttered Popcorn ?
Garam Masala Chai ?
Internet Connection ?
SacredGames ?
#bingemode on #netflix
@NetflixIndia
? in 3...2...1"
"Power and narcissism f***ed each other and gave birth to the thing that we all love- materialism. Guruji dropping truth bombs ??
@NetflixIndia #SacredGames" @ShreyKnsl wrote on Twitter.
"Dear Netflix and Sacred Games team why man why why so curious ending why? What happened after that ?why u didn't let us know what happened after last try
are you bringing up season 3?
@NetflixIndia
@absolutesatya
Another mindblogging season
Loved it" @NJ044 wrote on Twitter.
Reliance Entertainment's Twitter handle shared a video of Netflix that features Pankaj Tripathi in his Sacred Games 2 role. The actor, who plays Guruji in the series, has wished everyone on Independence Day in a unique manner.
Watch the video here:
"Four episodes in of Sacred Games and I just don’t want to stop watching. Don’t want to attend family lunch and all. Just sit at home and watch Sacred Games," @vivekisms wrote on Twitter.
(Photo: APH Images)
Writer Varun Grover spoke on the expectations from season two. He said, "During the first season, we didn’t know how big this will get. The Season I trailer still has got around one million hits while the second season’s trailer has touched 12 million within two weeks of its release."
Neeraj Ghaywan, who has replaced Vikramaditya Motwane to direct the story of Saif Ali Khan, told indianexpress.com, "There were multiple pressures — from the pressure of working with the people whose work you look up to; not failing them since you admire them and working with a star, Saif Ali Khan. However, he was a sweetheart."
The actor wrote on her Twitter account, "Who’s excited for #SacredGames #SGS2!?! ? @NetflixIndia @_iamnaaz_ #TONIGHT"
Vikramaditya Motwane said, "The pressure was mainly in terms of time. We had more than a year to write Season I. We had to deliver this season within a year. This involved writing prep, shoot and post-production. We had to strive for better quality in less time.
"We wanted Sartaj to be on his own, without any support system, as much as possible. Also, when you are working on a tight schedule, you have to take such calls. We didn’t have the luxury of mulling over it and we couldn’t work out a middle ground," he added.
Before you watch the second season of Sacred Games, watch its trailer.
The official Twitter handle of Netflix India wrote, "Drinking game: Have a sip of tea every time you're awed by @Nawazuddin_S and @TripathiiPankaj's acting."
Kalki Koechlin, who plays Batya Abelman in Sacred Games 2, shared how she observed her co-star Pankaj Tripathi to pick up the nuances. She said, "I was following Pankaj and he didn’t know. I used to literally copy his walk behind him, his gestures. Luckily when I was shooting that portion, I didn’t have much to do, I am just there in the background, so I used to watch him a lot. He tells all these stories so I used to listen to his stories and try to imbibe some of it. Batya is his apprentice also, so there was this need… I didn’t want to copy him but be completely influenced by him."
Also read: Here’s what happened in Sacred Games Season 1 | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8
Saif Ali Khan, who reprises his part of cop Sartaj Singh in season two of Sacred Games, said, "It (season two) is so cleverly done. It goes back to the past and future and everything ties up. Season one is quite basic compared to season two. Season two is where we change gears. In season one you know about them, but in season two you are up to it.
"He is still very imperfect, flawed character and has got addictive nature to alcohol, drugs and pills. He is very under-confident in many ways. He is wonderfully human but a big mess," he added.
TV actor Raj Singh Arora tweeted, "#SACREDGAMES2 thought will watch it over the next two or three days done & dusted in one sitting at 8.57am. No spoilers beautifully complex & truly international. #Mumbai @SacredGames_TV @NetflixIndia @varungrover @VikramMotwane"
Indianexpress.com's Sampada Sharma wrote in her first impression of Sacred Games 2, "In terms of story, without giving much away, we can say that just with the first episode, the binge-watching is bound to start again. Saif Ali Khan’s Sartaj has a new pal in his investigation and though he is no Katekar, his energy fuels the tension that is much needed with the threat of a nuclear war. Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Gaitonde has moved on after his stint in jail but his actions haven’t changed. Pankaj Tripathi’s Guruji brings an undeniable charisma on screen that is sure to leave you spellbound. The political and social issues dealt here might ruffle some feathers but that wouldn’t be the first time that Kashyap’s work invites controversy."
Surveen Chawla, who was pregnant during the shooting of Sacred Games shared, "It was difficult to play Jojo at a time when I was pregnant. You are trying to find an end to your emotions and you don’t have it. It is not the best place to be in when you are pregnant. I wanted to sometimes just run away from it."
The official Twitter handle of Reliance Entertainment shared a clip of Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Gaitonde.
Anurag Kashyap, in a chat with indianexpress.com said, "Every character died at the right time — just when you were falling in love with them. Some of them are alive in Gaitonde’s timeline, which is in the past, and not in Sartaj’s timeline.
"We obviously have to put the show and time in context. It’s built around how power has always used religion; the role of religion in a whole lot of things and how it gets misused," he added.
In an interview with The Indian Express, Amruta said, "It is intriguing because in most professions, if you do well, you get appreciation from your peers. A RAW agent is a secret agent and the only thing driving her/him is love for their country. I really want to salute all RAW agents after playing this character. Very few people stand up to Ganesh Gaitonde and my character does that. She is a dominating woman. He does not like her but respects her.”
In an interview with indianexpress.com, Nawazuddin Siddiqui said, “Gaitonde is not a real-life character unlike some of the roles I have played in the past. So, creatively, there was a lot of freedom as long as I stuck to the script, I could toy with him in season one. People often see me during promotions of other films and yell ‘Gaitonde! Gaitonde!’ as if I’m him in real life. It is of course a good feeling because it means I have been able to execute a complex character and make him so believable in real life.”