Flushed with the success of Sacred Games, Nawaz on how India’s first Netflix show made him an international star
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 21, 2018)

Over a month after he made his web debut with Sacred Games, Nawazuddin Siddiqui says it was a gamble that has paid him rich dividends. Amidst reports that the second season of the adaptation of Vikram Chandra’s novel will go on floors by the year-end, the actor reveals that his portrayal of Mumbai crime overlord Ganesh Gaitonde has brought him recognition among the global audience.

Speaking about the success of the Netflix series for the first time, Siddiqui — who is no stranger to the international circuit courtesy several films, including Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012) and Manto, that have travelled to various festivals — says he understood the farreaching impact it had within a week of it dropping online. “I was in Rome [shooting for Tannishtha Chatterjee’s yet-untitled directorial] the same week when Sacred Games released. What was interesting was the fact that not only Indians, but the locals also recognized me as Ganesh Gaitonde and appreciated my performance. I have never seen this kind of adulation in my life. It is India’s first Netflix series. It is on par, or I would say, even better than the shows that are being made in various parts of the world,” says the actor.

The pilot season received much acclaim, with some drawing parallels with the popular American drama Narcos. Siddiqui shares with mid-day that the second season will be more promising. “Anurag [Kashyap] told me that the second season will be bigger and better. It is in the scripting stage.”

While he awaits the second instalment of the web show, he will be seen on the big screen in Anil Sharma’s Genius. “When Anil ji approached me, I agreed to be a part of the movie, as I have always loved the treatment of his films.”