Subhechcha Ganguly 
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has lashed out at Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos following the latter’s recent comments on Sacred Games, Netflix India’s first original series. Appearing on Nikhil Kamath’s WTF podcast, Sarandos questioned whether launching Netflix India’s original content with Sacred Games was the right choice, suggesting a more “populist” show might have been a better starting point.
The remark didn’t sit well with Kashyap, who co-directed the critically acclaimed crime thriller. Taking to Threads, he posted a scathing response: “He should have started with Saas-Bahu… he would have done well. Which he is doing now. I always knew the tech guys are dumb when it comes to storytelling, but @tedsarandos is the definition of dumb — that I didn’t know. Good to discover that. This explains everything now.”
Kashyap’s outburst reignites the debate around creative risks and streaming strategies in India, especially as platforms like Netflix shift toward mass-market content. Sacred Games, starring Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, was a bold move for Indian streaming when it launched in 2018, receiving strong acclaim in its first season. However, after a less well-received second season, the show was discontinued.
Sarandos’ comments have sparked criticism from fans and creators alike, with many defending the legacy of Sacred Games as a genre-defining series for Indian OTT platforms.
