Netflix India has found its leading man for its first original Indian series, Sacred Games, in Saif Ali Khan. And we can’t just contain our excitement for the same! The US-based on-demand streaming website had announced its intention to make its first Indian orginal series last year in June. The show will be based on the critically-acclaimed best-selling novel by the same name written by Indian author Vikram Chandra. Netflix will be partnering with Phantom Films for the same. The announcement of the leading man was done some time back by Netflix on Twitter.
Earlier speaking to an online portal, Erik Barmack, vice president of international original series at Netflix had said this, “We are delighted to partner with creative powerhouse, Phantom Films, to bring Vikram Chandra’s epic novel to life with the best Indian and global film talent available today. Sacred Games reinforces our commitment to bring the authenticity of local stories to Netflix members across 190 countries worldwide.”
The author has spoken to IANS earlier, “Over the last few years, I’ve watched with great excitement and pleasure as Netflix has transformed narrative television with its ground-breaking, genre-bending shows. I’m confident that all the colour and vitality and music of the fictional world I’ve lived with for so long will come fully alive on the large-scale canvas provided by Netflix. I’m thrilled to be working with Netflix and Phantom Films.”
It’s great to see Saif Ali Khan return in form again, especially after watching that quirky teaser of Kaalakaandi yesterday. Even when he was in top form he did movies like Ek Hasina Thi. Go Goa Gone and Being Cyrus, showing that he is willing to go the unconventional way when it comes to choosing worthy content. It also has to be noted that he will be the first among the top make Bollywood stars to be a part of an original series. Though we wonder, how they will hide that tattoo of Kareena so evident in the pic above…
As for the book, Sacred Games takes inspiration from the classics of nineteenth-century fiction, mystery novels, Bollywood movies and Chandra’s own life and research on the streets of Mumbai.