A
mysterious
phone
call
puts
the
life
of
an
already
overstressed
cop
in
disarray.
The
caller
warns
him
that
there
are
only
25
days
before
he
can
save
the
city
of
Mumbai.
A
few
minutes
into
the
very
first
episode
of
Anurag
Kashyap
and
Vikramaditya
Motwane's
Sacred
Games
and
you
know
it's
worthy
of
your
attention.
After
all,
there's
nothing
better
than
a
gripping,
well-written
saga
of
a
cat
and
mouse
game
to
hold
you
to
the
edge
of
your
seats.
The
very
first
frame
of
Sacred
Games,
with
a
dog
being
hauled
to
death
from
a
multi-storeyed
building,
prepares
you
for
what
lies
ahead.
It's
grim,
gritty...
there's
a
generous
dose
of
expletives...
this
ain't
a
bed
of
roses.
Fair
disclaimer
for
those
whose
stomach
might
churn
watching
some
of
the
graphic
content
on
screen
that
spans
over
four
decades.
Everyone
in
this
universe
is
a
manipulator.
Their
personal
gains
send
them
towards
a
web
of
betrayal,
lies,
and
deceit.
It's
these
flawed
characters
that
endear
us
to
them.
It's
the
imperfections
we
identify
with
since
it
could
easily
be
any
of
us
in
their
place.
Sacred
Games
also
deserves
kudos
for
attempting
a
novelty
when
it
comes
to
the
portrayal
of
transgender
characters.
It's
easy
to
cast
a
man
in
place
and
follow
a
familiar
trope,
but
Kubbra
Sait
as
Cuckoo
is
a
revelation.
The
character
also
helps
to
show
the
humane
side
of
Ganesh
Gaitonde
(Nawazuddin
Siddique),
who
by
now,
everyone
would
have
known
to
be
the
mysterious
caller
taunting
an
anxiety-ridden
cop
Sartaj
Singh
(Saif
Ali
Khan).
Coming
to
the
performances,
Saif
is
a
winner
all
the
way.
Shown
as
a
worrywart,
be
it
expressing
his
anguish
when
a
young
Muslim
boy
is
shot
for
no
fault
of
his
own
or
feeling
miserably
let
down
for
failing
to
save
those
who
trusted
him,
he
steals
the
show.
A
few
kilos
to
his
physique
also
helps
with
the
characterisation...
one
that's
riddled
with
personal
and
professional
woes.
Blame
it
on
them
having
done
such
roles
before,
I
found
Nawaazuddin
Siddique
and
Radhika
Apte
just
apt
but
not
mindblowing.
This
is,
of
course,
IMO.
Knowing
that
it's
penned
by
Kashyap
and
Motwane,
you
can't
ignore
the
subtle
references
to
the
rising
intolerance
in
the
country,
even
if
it's
made
to
look
like
part
of
the
narrative,
going
with
the
proceedings.
We
aren't
missing
the
mirror
to
society.
Or
the
rebuke,
albeit
a
soft
one,
the
makers
give
out.
To
whom?
Your
guess
is
as
good
as
mine.
There
are
a
few
doses
of
feminism
also.
Expected.
Sample
this.
"When
a
man
decides
to
take
on
a
so-called
dangerous
mission,
it's
passion.
But
if
a
woman
dares
to
do
it,
it's
mindless
obsession!" Radhika
Apte
tells
a
colleague.
The
narrative,
for
the
most
part,
is
linear.
Cinematography
is
one
of
the
biggest
strengths
of
Sacred
Games.
The
hues
go
with
the
mood
of
the
characters,
if
you
know
what
we
mean,
or
you
shall
if
you
decide
to
give
it
a
try.
The
cuts
(Aarti
Bajaj)
are
fine
as
well.
The
BGM
(credited
to
multiple
composers)
also
seamlessly
blends
in.
Sacred
Games
isn't
without
its
share
of
shortcomings
though.
An
underperforming
cop
who
has
to
put
up
with
the
shenanigans
of
a
corrupt
boss,
politicians,
and
gangsters
who,
for
the
most
part,
follow
cliches,
a
loyal
sidekick...
stuff
we
have
seen
innumerable
times
on
the
screen.
Nevertheless,
praise
be
upon
the
writers
for
showing
two
sides
of
the
police
battalion
-
ones
who
swarm
around
with
apathy
amongst
those
who
wear
their
uniform
on
their
sleeves.
A
few
characters
also
seem
unnecessary.
Like
the
instance,
when
an
actress
has
to
deal
with
an
overbearing
boyfriend,
perhaps
just
to
infuse
into
the
narrative,
the
influence
she
can
exert
on
the
top
police
official
of
the
city
to
get
rid
of
him.
All
in
all,
I
would
give
this
a
thumbs-up
and
a
rating
of
3.5
on
5.
Go
for
it,
in
case,
you
haven't
done
it
so
far!
And
watch
Sacred
Games
2
that
releases
on
Netflix
on
August
15.