Anurag Kashyap, who is renowned as the creator of Netflix’s successful series Sacred Games, has gone on the offensive against Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos over a comment he made in an interview on the Nikhil Kamath Podcast, where he implied that Sacred Games may have been a strategic error because it was released “so early” for audiences in India.
What Did Ted Sarandos Say?
During the podcast interview, Sarandos said:
“If I did it all over again, would I have thought to do Sacred Games a couple years later, and a little more populist? Maybe. There was cultural mismatch at that time.”
This comment received tremendous backlash online, particularly given the view that Sacred Games really kickstarted the streaming revolution in India. The series starred Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui and was released in 2018. It only grew in popularity worldwide.
Anurag Kashyap’s Explosive Response
Anurag Kashyap doesn’t shy away from controversy and took to social media to lambast Sarandos as follows. He quoted the statement and replied:
“He must have started with Saas Bahu, which he is doing now. I always knew tech guys are stupid when it comes to storytelling, but @tedsarandos is definition of stupidity, which I did not know. It is good to know it.”
“This explains everything now.”
The comment is possibly a direct jab at Netflix India’s recent shift towards mass-audience family-friendly dramas, especially given their long-term associations with Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms.
Sacred Games: The Legacy
Adapted from Vikram Chandra’s novel, Sacred Games followed the journey of Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan), a Mumbai police officer trying to track gangster Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), who has warned Sartaj of an impending apocalypse.
The cast also features Radhika Apte, Pankaj Tripathi, Kalki Koechlin, Amruta Subhash, Ranvir Shorey and others in lead roles.
The series was celebrated across the world, raised the bar for cinematic storytelling in Indian OTT, and has left a benchmark that platforms have failed to replicate since.
The Debate: Quality vs Populism
Kashyap’s tirade adds to an ongoing conversation around and inside the Indian streaming sphere:
Sarandos’ assertion that a project like Sacred Games should have been delayed illustrates the increasing caution Netflix is affording to go “safe” in the country, while creators like Kashyap argue platforms have to be bold and take risks to change culture.
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Box Office Worldwide Verdict
Ted Sarandos’ comment might have been business talk, but Anurag Kashyap’s anger is an artistic reality. Sacred Games was not just ahead of the game — it was vital. It showed that India could lead the world of OTT and that audiences were ready for layered, brave stories that take a cinematic form.
Treating it as a misstep does not just slight the creators but the audiences who supported it. Sometimes the audiences are ready, even before the boardroom sees it.
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