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Home , Girish Kulkarni, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, Sacred Games (novel), Vikramaditya Motwane, Vikram (actor)

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SUNDAY, JULY 15, 2018 Page 15

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FILM CMYK REVIEW ‘A dark and whirlwind adventure that is unlike anything we have seen in Indian television or web-series’

to save from annihilation. What happens next is what Sacred Games is all about. By Ambar Ever since the trailers and promos of Chatterjee this series aired, was excited about it. From 5th June midnight, I kept refresh- ing the page checking if the se- ries had come online. It was only about 11 am on 6th that it finally came through and I binged it at one go.It was unprec- edented excitement for me. Sacred Games is terrific not only in its content and treat- Director: ment but in its sensational performances. The series takes what has become a norm and these days of a fractured and to-and-fro look at things as we swish back and forth in time to document Sartaj's quest to find out the truth behind Gaitonde's warning Cast: and the audiences' voyeuristic look at Gaitonde's past. These two tracks over- , Nawazuddin lap, crisscross and often add something Siddiqui, Neeraj Kabi, or the other to each other. The keys to , Girish big bad world and has landed two of the charming, she is captivating, she is heart- biggest hauls ever in the city of criminal breaking and above all she is real. Her one- Kulkarni, Elnaaz Norouzi, merchandise. on-ones with are Kubra Sait Not many will mention him but my next some of the highpoints of the series. She pick of the lot on the basis of performances feels like the woman that a man would be Rating: is not Nawazuddin but NeerajKabi. He is ready to go to war for. Jatin Sharma as delightful as the authoritative, suave and Bunty is laudable. His character has an arc 4/5 foxy DCP Parulkar who takes the limelight as varied as Bhonsle. ElnaazNorouzi as away from Khan in every scene that they Zoya is wonderful. I have a feeling that her acred Games is based on the 933 share. Yes! their characters are written in a character will assume importance in the pages long thriller of the same name manner that makes it easy for Kabi to get an seasons to come of the series. Luke Kenny Sby Chandra. Even though I upper hand but his overall easy is refresh- is almost unrecognizable. I loved his act, haven't read the book, I have learned that ing and drool-worthy. Ditto can be said especially in the last episode. it is a highly nuanced thriller with mul- about who essays the role Sacred Games is a technically perfect. tiple subplots and a temperamental pace of home Minister Bhonsle. His character Be it the cinematography, the editing, the that gradually gets to you. Vikramaditya has a huge arc as he starts off as a pesky music or for that matter the color palette, Motwane and Anurag Kashyap attempt nobody who doesn't even get a handshake everything works like a charm. Anurag to re-write this saga in the cinematic lan- from Parulkar to grow into a menacing min- Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane bring guage with a sensibility that is close to ister who doesn't lose a single opportunity in their sensibility to make the series feel what the author set out to achieve in his to threaten or blackmail Parulkar who now contemporary and gripping. The total lack work (Vikram Chandra has contributed has to salute him. If one looks closely, one of censorship allows them to exercise their his insight for the scripts) and yet is very can see the pleasure that he gets just by vision in a way that would never have been cinematic in nature. It is the kind of se- meting it out raw to Parulkar. possible under the Sanskari ries that has never been attempted in the Nawazuddin Siddiqui does a retread of censorship. Indian film industry, primarily because unraveling the truth behind the warning Faizal Khan from . This brings me to my final point of of its content and treatment. It's needless are embedded deep in Gaitonde's past. Without taking anything away from his stu- praise for this series. Sacred Games in ev- to say that its success or failure would go Saif Ali Khan turns in one of the best pendous act, I have to admit that he is get- ery eventuality might just open doors for down a long way to decide the fate of performances of his career. Sartaj is a ting repetitive and comfortable in what he an alternate Bollywood on Netflix and how the Indian film industry and Netflix believable man. He hardly wins. He gets does best. But the point remains that his act other digital platforms. That would be collaborate in the future. Thus, a lot is picked apart atleast twice by bad guys. here is perfectly in harmony with the char- only because of the lack of censorship, riding on this mammoth undertaking. He is slow and most of the good things acter that he is playing. It wouldn't be wrong red tape and the maker's ability to fully Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan) is a righ- that happen to him happen mostly by to say that I enjoyed the flashbacks involv- realize their visions without the fear of teous yet underachieving cop whose happenstance. What I loved about his ing his character much more than the the axe. The fact that the digital platforms greatest claim to fame has been the cap- act was the manner in which he reacted present timeline. The amount of entertain- will open up Bollywood to an ture of a pickpocket. He is in the middle to different situations. His expressions ment and varied shades that it has to offer unimaginably wider and varied audience of a major tussle with his department as felt just so real that it added a whole lot makes it an easy choice between the might be another big reason for the transi- he refuses to give false testimony to ac- to his overall essay. I loved his expres- two.Nawazuddin makes the most of it ex- tion. quit his morally corrupt yet powerful boss sions when he has to forcibly give a celling in every facet of the character and Sacred Games is a gripping, tense and DCP Parulkar (NeerajKabi) from a brutal wrong testimony. It brought out his in- adding the trademark "Nawazuddin whirlwind adventure that is bound to im- CMYK and illegitimate encounter killing. His ner conflicts and his dilemma wonder- Siddiqui" charm to the dialogues and press one and all. For a series that is 8 wife has left him and he also has an acute fully. I loved the way he shares some light abuses that are sprinkled all over the narra- episodes long (1 hour each), it feels un- sleep deprivation issue and can't sleep moments with his colleague, the delight- tive. usually racy. That is primarily because of without Alprazolam. It is at this juncture ful Constable Katekar (Jitendra Joshi). Radhika Apte is wonderful as ever. She its screenplay, superb performances, and CMYK in his life that he receives a call from As the story progresses we see him grow has precious little to do but does well to get wonderful execution. Forget everything Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin in confidence as well as audacity. By the the attention that she deserves. Kubra Sait and binge this one for sure. It will be to- Siddiqui), the most wanted gangster of time we arrive at the last episode, Sartaj as Gaitonde'sKukoo takes the thunder from tally worth your time and money. who tells him that he has 25 days is a changed man ready to take on the all other female actors of the show. She is Feedback: [email protected]

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