Saif
Ali
Khan
is
excited
for
the
sophomore
season
of
Netflix
India
Original
"Sacred
Games" and
the
actor
says
the
cleverest
thing
he
has
done
in
his
career
is
making
foray
into
the
digital
world.
The
actor
will
reprise
his
part
of
cop
Sartaj
Singh
in
season
two
of
"Sacred
Games",
which
follows
his
chase
for
the
truth
behind
gangster
Ganesh
Gaitonde's
(Nawazuddin
Siddiqui)
warning
to
save
the
city.
"Here
(in
digital
medium)
there
is
a
difference
in
pace,
tone
and
even
with
acting,
like
they
try
to
bring
it
down
a
bit.
You
have
to
trust
the
camera
that
the
emotion
will
be
captured
correctly
if
you
feel
it
within.
"The
approach
is
different,
sometimes
a
Gaiety
(single-screen
theatre)
crowd,
although
it
is
changing,
might
feel
that
you
are
not
doing
anything
but
you
are.
They
(films
and
web)
are
both
different
platforms.
I
am
platform
agnostic
now.
It
is
the
cleverest
thing
I
have
been
part
of," Saif
told
PTI
in
an
interview.
The
48-year-old
actor
said
season
two
is
much
twisted
than
the
first
one
and
the
team
is
confident
about
it.
"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."
Sartaj
appeared
as
an
under-confident
cop
in
season
one
and
Saif
said
though
there
aren't
many
changes
internally,
there
are
some
in
terms
of
his
look.
He
defines
his
character
as
"wonderfully
human
but
imperfect
and
flawed".
"I
played
this
character
longer
than
any
other
character.
I
think
he
is
the
same
guy.
He
is
not
going
to
sort
out
any
issue,
in
fact,
it
might
just
get
worse.
There
is
no
time
for
wallowing
and
pity.
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.
Earlier
the
actor
had
to
alter
his
physicality,
put
on
weight
to
get
a
burly,
tough
physique
but
this
time
he
had
to
get
into
shape
for
a
leaner
look.
Elaborating
on
the
same,
Saif
said,
"There
is
a
lot
of
drama
and
action
happening.
He
has
a
lost
a
lot
of
blood,
he
is
not
eating
much,
he
is
running
around
a
lot
and
he
is
not
happy.
"In
the
book,
he
is
a
very
lean
and
well-dressed
sardar.
But
in
the
show
when
we
introduced
him
he
is
unhappy
and
unfit.
Then
as
we
progress
at
a
certain
point
he
looks
like
what
Sartaj
Singh
is
in
the
book,
which
is
fitter
and
leaner."
Asked
if
it
will
be
easy
for
him
to
leave
the
character
behind,
Saif
said,
"These
characters
are
not
like
you
are
becoming
somebody
else.
It
is
not
that
you
are
tapping
into
certain
energy.
"But
it
will
be
sad
to
say
goodbye
one
day
as
you
have
been
getting
up
and
tying
this
turban
for
many
days.
It
is
like
16
hours
of
filming.
It
will
be
sad."
A
bungalow
in
the
interiors
of
suburban
Mumbai
served
as
an
ashram
for
season
two
of
Sacred
Games
where
Saif
was
interacting
in
between
shots
and
takes.
Without
revealing
the
scene
that
he
shot
with
new
addition
to
the
cast,
Kalki
Koechlin,
Saif
said,
"We
are
shooting
the
interior
portion
of
the
ashram
the
exterior
part
is
done
in
Delhi.
The
sacred
part
of
'Sacred
Games' wasn't
there
so
much
in
season
one,
it
comes
in
now.
I
have
always
thought
it
is
the
best
thing
to
make
a
show
that
you
could
export.
Because
it
is
very
Indian,
it
has
got
mafia
and
cops,
who
are
unique
and
their
equations
are
unique.
Then
there
is
politics
and
Bollywood,
it
also
has
got
religion,
godman,
it
has
drugs,
etc.
The
show
is
pretty
interesting."
In
2018
when
season
one
was
released
it
garnered
a
lot
of
praise
but
it
did
invite
some
controversy.
Indian
National
Congress
party
member
Rajeev
Kumar
Sinha
lodged
a
first
information
report
against
Netflix,
the
showrunners
and
Nawazuddin
Siddiqui,
for
allegedly
insulting
former
Indian
Prime
Minister
Rajiv
Gandhi
in
one
of
the
scenes.
The
"Bazaar" actor
said
this
time
the
team
has
been
"cautious"
in
their
approach.
"I
think
we
are
being
cautious...Even
though
my
track
doesn't
have
much
sex
and
bad
language.
Sadly.
It
(referring
to
political
stuff)
does
have
a
bit
but
we
were
quite
careful.
"...
But
(if)
there
is
an
issue
during
election
time
Netflix
or
Amazon
might
get
banned.
I
hope
it
never
gets
banned
because
a
lot
of
directors
and
art
makers
whose
cinematic
releases
are
not
the
most
popular
ones
can
find
a
space
that
is
so
clever
and
lovely,"
he
said.
In
reference
to
his
show,
Saif
said
the
makers
are
being
sensitive
and
careful.
.
"...We
don't
want
to
get
banned.
We
don't
want
the
show
to
not
run.
We
are
not
really
interested
in
controversy.
Our
content
is
good.
We
would
like
more
people
to
come
and
watch
rather
than
create
some
kind
of
sensation."
Like
season
one,
there
are
two
directors
on
board
this
time
as
well.
"Masaan" fame
Neeraj
Ghaywan
will
direct
Saif,
while
earlier
it
was
Vikramaditya
Motwane
who
directed
his
portions.
The
actor
said
both
Ghaywan
and
Motwane
are
creatively
different
people
but
they
brought
the
best
out
of
him
as
an
artist.
"Neeraj
is
little
easier
going
than
Vikram.
Vikram
is
more
serious
and
concerned
about
the
fact
that
he
is
doing
something
international.
He
shows
the
seriousness
of
that
while
Neeraj
is
more
relaxed.
That
is
the
only
difference.
"Both
of
them
brought
out
the
best
in
me
in
different
ways.
For
directors
like
Vikram
and
Neeraj
this
is
the
ultimate
space."
As
the
show
gears
up
for
an
August
15
premiere,
Saif
said
he
is
not
sure
if
the
series
will
return
with
a
third
season.
"This
story
ends
at
the
end
of
this
season.
So
I
don't
know
if
they
will
extend
it.
This
is
a
fairly
solid
conclusion.
(But)
There
is
always
scope
for
more."
The
new
season
will
see
Pankaj
Tripathi
in
a
full-fledged
role
as
the
mysterious
Guruji,
while
Kalki
and
Ranvir
Shorey
are
the
latest
additions
to
the
series.