Replete with gritty and unforgettable performances by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Saif Ali Khan and Radhika Apte, international media is raving about India's maiden Netflix original series staring right into the soul of the country's, especially Mumbai's, dark reality. Directed by Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane, Sacred Games is produced by the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Entertainment's Phantom Films joint venture. It is based on Vikram Chandra's eponymous novel of 2006 and premiered worldwide on Netflix on July 6.
However, the political incorrectness and unabashed truth depicted in the series has managed to irk the sentiments of a certain section in India. In a recent development, a plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking a ban on streaming that particular episode and moreover, that specific portion be removed from the series altogether, reports a leading news agency.
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On Wednesday, the All India Cine Workers Association wrote to the Additional Commissioner of Police complaining about the scenes that 'malign' the image of the former PM. They have requested that an FIR be lodged against Nawazuddin, directors Anurag and Vikramaditya and the makers of Sacred Games under appropriate sections of the IT Act and Indian Penal Code.
*Spoiler Alert* The opening season hits out at Congress as there are episodes on Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government, and Bofors scandal and Shah Bano cases – that created a storm during Rajiv Gandhi’s rule.
A Congress activist in West Bengal had filed a police complaint on Tuesday, July 10, against actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, over-the-top media services provider Netflix and the makers for “insulting” and “abusing” former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.
The letter complains that the show has a scene in which Siddiqui, the protagonist, is seen “abusing our Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi calling him f***u, which translated as pu*** in the subtitle of the show”.
He also accused the makers of the show of “misrepresenting facts during his (Gandhi’s) period (regime)”.
Whether or not the said scenes will be removed from the series remains to be seen. There has been no official word from Phantom Films, Netflix or any of the other producers and actors involved.