Netflix’s Sacred Games might have gotten mixed reviews for its second season, but it’s also earned the distinction of being named as one of the decade’s 30 best shows according to this list by the New York Times. Adapted from Vikram Chandra’s expansive 2007 novel of the same name, the show premiered on Netflix in 2018 for the first time.
The first season of Sacred Games lived up to the hype, getting glowing reviews, and very soon found its place in pop-culture if the number of memes were any indicator. The praise wasn’t limited to the show’s two hinges – Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Bunty (Jatin Sarna), Kukkoo (Kubbra Sait) and Katekar (Jitendra Joshi) found their own audience. The show was hailed on par with other Netflix hits – Narcos, Fauda and Le Casa De Papel.
Sacred Games is in fantastic company on the NYT list, where it shares the dais with the likes of Fleabag, Please Like Me, Killing Eve, The Crown & Sherlock. A majority of these shows are multiple-Emmy winning shows, whereas even Sacred Games has been nominated for an International Emmy Award in 2019.
The second season of Sacred Games didn’t open to the near-unanimous acclaim like its predecessor did. Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and Anurag Kashyap, the second season was described as too ‘esoteric’ by its own lead star, Saif Ali Khan. Even though a third season isn’t on the cards, one hopes that Sartaj Singh gets a stab at greatness.
