Anurag Kashyap Critiques Netflix CEO Over Sacred Games Remarks

Ziya Khan 2 weeks agoLast Updated: June 9, 2025

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who co-directed the critically acclaimed Sacred Games for Netflix India in 2018, has voiced his disappointment with the platform’s current direction.

In a recent Instagram post, Kashyap reacted strongly to comments made by Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos regarding the streaming service’s early days in India. He shared a screenshot of a headline stating: “Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos unsure if launching in India with Sacred Games was ideal, says something ‘more populist’ might have worked better: ‘If I did it all over again…'”

Kashyap responded to Sarandos’ remarks by suggesting, “He should have started with Saas Bahu… he would have done well. Which he is doing now. I always knew tech guys struggle with storytelling, but @tedsarandos is the definition of dumb, which I hadn’t realized until now. Good to discover that. This explains everything.” His reference to “Saas Bahu” pointed to Netflix India’s recent collaboration with Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms, known for her popular daily soaps like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi from the 2000s.

Commenting on Kashyap’s post, actress Lisa Mishra, who recently appeared in Netflix India’s The Royals, added, “Everything in OTT is derivative now anyways, and specifically derivative of Sacred Games.”

Background Context

Sarandos shared his thoughts on Netflix’s entry into India during a podcast with Nikhil Kamath, stating, “If I did it all over again, would I have launched Sacred Games a couple of years later and focused on more populist content instead? Maybe. We knew that India was going to be a slower journey to reach our goals. But it’s a great prize at the end of the day.”

Earlier in March, Kashyap had also criticized Netflix India in another post, referring to it as a “totally opposite s*** show” while praising the British psychological crime drama Adolescence on the platform. He remarked on Sarandos’ previous comments about the show, saying, “Now coming to my envy and jealousy. Ted Sarandos recently posted that ‘every once in a while, one comes along those pushes into brand new territories, defies the limits of creativity, and features career-defining performances.’ I hope he means it because his Netflix.in is a totally opposite s*** show.”