Sacred Games 2 Quick Review: Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Pankaj Tripathi prove that nothing is bigger than this game

By Rashita Sahni

on August 15, 2019

Web Show: Sacred Games

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Pankaj Tripathi

Director: Anurag Kashyap and Neeraj Ghaywan

Sacred Games – The name is enough, isn’t it? Netflix’s first Indian original series is making its hotly anticipated return on August 15 and just like Ganesh Gaitonde, apun bhi intezaar nahi kar paa raha. Based on Vikram Chandra’s 2006 novel of the same title, Sacred Games 2 will continue to chart the entangled adventures of Mumbai police officer Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan) and gangster Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui).

And with Season 2 going live tonight, we are here to review the first three episodes of the gritty and gripping show (without revealing the story or giving spoilers, of course). Just like the first season, even the second one is directed by Anurag Kashyap and Neeraj Ghaywan but this time it seems better and an even bigger blockbuster. Trust this gangster saga that juggles back and forth between the life of a monstrously entertaining criminal and a police officer to leave you speechless and blown.

New characters — played by Kalki Koechlin and Ranvir Shorey — and ones that were cameos previously will have a big role to play in Season 2. Beyond them, the Sacred Games 2 supporting cast will feature Neeraj Kabi as Sartaj’s boss DCP Parulkar, Luke Kenny as the hired-gun Malcolm Mourad, Elnaaz Norouzi as actress Zoya Mirza / Jamila and Jatin Sarna as Gaitonde’s right-hand man Deepak “Bunty” Shinde. Also returning are Chittaranjan Tripathi as L.K. Trivedi, Surveen Chawla as Jojo Mascarenhas, Anupriya Goenka as Sartaj's ex-wife Megha and our very own Pankaj Tripathi as Guruji.

Sacred Games 2 begins with the same 25 days tied up story and this time we are at Day 13. Kyuki 25 dino mai sirf Trivedi bachega ya nahi, yeh bhi toh dekhna hai. Episode 1 titled ‘Matsya’ begins with taking us back to 1994 when Ganesh Gaitonde makes a discovery in his boat bunker where he is trapped. On the other hand, in the present day, Sartaj joins a mission to foil a deadly conspiracy. And while Ganesh plans his big escape, Sartaj tries to confront his separated wife to save their marriage but all in vain. The first episode not only makes us excited to witness what is next in store but also makes sure to keep us hooked, all for the right reasons.

Episode 2 titled ‘Siduri’ takes us to Day 11 and is all about Pankaj Tripathi aka Guruji and his “bhagwan ko maante ho gyaan”. With the terrorist call investigation underway, Sartaj visits Guruji’s ashram where he meets Batya Abelman (Kalki Koechlin) who is the head caretaker there. On the other hand, Gaitonde, back in 1994, is urged to seek a spiritual anchor and that is how he meets his third father – Guruji – who personifies calm before the storm. The second episode gives us a better insight into where this valiant story is heading to.

Episode 3 titled ‘Apasmara’ opens at Day 10. It is with this episode that several confusions get cleared off our mind. Sartaj traces how a nuclear consignment was delivered to India recently whereas, in the early 2000s, Gaitonde takes bold actions to maintain his notoriety. We also get to see the bitter-sweet love story between Gaitonde and his Jojo but a gunpoint at Gaitonde is what ends this engaging episode.

Saif, Nawazuddin and Pankaj are exceptionally good in the series. With the power to keep the audience hooked, the trio is here to stay! About 45-50 minutes long, the first three episodes delve deep into the storyline but the plot, at some points, looks dragged and boring. The episodes are well shot at several locations including Mumbai, Kenya, Cape Town and Johannesburg and give an insight to what is in store for us in this season. What impresses the most is the connection of old characters with new ones and that is what makes this season captivating and exciting. We certainly have very high hopes from the rest of the season kyuki apun ko kabhi kabhi lagta hai ki Gaitonde Bhai hi Bhagwan hai!

(Source: PeepingMoon)