Meena Iyer (DNA; January 8, 2018)

Saif Ali Khan has exciting things to look forward to in 2018. Besides the black comedy Kaalakandi, which releases on January 12, the actor will be seen as a cop, Sartaj Singh, in Sacred Games. Speaking at length about the web series, which is based on author Vikram Chandra’s bestseller by the same name, Saif is all praises for its directors Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane. Here, he tells  After Hrs how the digital space has redefined entertainment viewing:

WEB SERIES IS THE PRESENT
Web series is not the future, it is the present. It is a very creative space. And budgets are huge. Netflix has a lot of money and they spend it on their product.

THEY ARE QUALITY CONSCIOUS.
Unlike in India, international content makers have a different mindset. Here, smaller the screen, smaller is the moral infrastructure around it. They cut corners, they do not feed you properly and they make you work longer hours, etc. Stars get treated like human beings, not like Gods.

I would say that if you lose the advantage of being a star, then things can really go downhill in this country. We ourselves are not very great at respecting each other. I’ve seen how people work on TV. I do not watch TV, but I’m guessing it is good for people who enjoy it. I heard it is quite exploitative. I heard channels have to do things to please sponsors, etc. It’s a totally different universe.

TV VIEWING OFTEN LEADS TO DIFFERENCES
When you want to watch TV, most people have to negotiate with either their family members or others. Even a couple has to negotiate, unless you have two television sets. Web watching, on the other hand, is a very personal experience. You can just go to your room, plug on your computer or iPad and watch it at your leisure. You can even watch it on your phone. You don’t have to necessarily negotiate with anyone.

WEB SERIES IS ANOTHER PLATFORM FOR ACTORS
For us actors, web series is yet another platform to perform on. It’s a super creative medium with a good set-up. It seems smaller compared to a film but it’s an alternative. As it is paid, it gets your complete focus, unlike TV. For instance, when a television set is on, you’re busy doing your own thing.

MANY FORGOTTEN ACTORS ARE REDISCOVERED ON THE WEB
My friend, Andreas, who studied overseas with me, gave up his law degree to become a book publisher. In one of our earlier conversations, he had told me that after a while, all the ’80s and ’90s actors get lost. There is this huge actor called C Thomas Howell who was nowhere to be seen or heard and then he was back on Netflix in The Punisher. So, suddenly there is all this. In the West, the web revolution is big. There are several English actors who were packed up and suddenly now you find them on Netflix. So many actors are getting rediscovered on the web. It is awesome. My view on it — there is great entertainment. It is better than TV and made with a lot of care.

SACRED GAMES HAS BEEN MADE WITH A LOT OF LOVE
The costume department was super-efficient. I had someone tying my turban, someone else helping me with my outfit and another person helping me with my shoes. Since the budgets are big, no one is cutting corners. You are pampered.

Also, Vikramaditya and Anurag are great minds. They put their best foot forward. It wasn’t as if there were any compromises because they are doing a web series.

PUBLICITY BLITZKRIEG
When we were publicising Sacred Games, they booked three studios in Reliance and didn’t invite anyone from direction. They had their own people making the motion posters. You suddenly felt you were part of a large set-up. It was great fun. We had great art directors. I’m also sure that when it’s ready to air, there’ll be a publicity blitz and everyone will say, ‘Oh, so this is what was happening,’ which is reassuring for an actor. Sometimes you feel lost. And then when you see a hoarding you say, ‘Ok, this is it. Wow!’

I LOVE HOARDINGS
I know there has been a decision by some Bollywood segments to not spend a lot on hoardings. But I think, hoardings are very reassuring. When I was a producer, I always allotted a budget for them. When you have hoardings out there, it’s great to be a part of the project.