As fans welcome his Sacred Games 2 look, Nawazuddin Siddiqui on how Anurag Kashyap has made Gaitonde 'bigger and better'
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; July 15, 2019)

He may have traded his psychedelic print shirts for subdued suits, but Ganesh Gaitonde has retained his menacing streak, warns Nawazuddin Siddiqui at the onset of the chat. In the week since the trailer of the second season of Sacred Games dropped online, the Internet has been abuzz about Gaitonde's new look.

"Now, he is an international gangster who goes to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Mombasa and Nairobi. So we had to style the character accordingly. I didn't have any reference point, but the look is along the lines of international mafia that we see in movies," says Siddiqui of his new avatar.

While the first season of the Saif Ali Khan starrer ended on a cliffhanger, Siddiqui promises that the upcoming instalment of the Netflix series has been designed to shock and awe. He refuses to divulge details about the cat-and-mouse game that will ensue between Khan's and his characters, sticking to a pithy reply: "My character is complex because of his past, and there are many layers that will be unravelled in the second season. Ganesh Gaitonde is going to be bigger and better. I had read the book [Vikram Chandra's novel by the same name] at the start of the first season. It has helped me understand my character better."

If his part of a crime overlord in the thriller has quickly gained cult status, he says the credit rests with frequent collaborator and the show's co-director Anurag Kashyap. "When Anurag is around, I don't have to worry about anything. The biggest advantage is that he knows me personally, so the role was created in such a way that I would be able to relate to it. He is always able to bring out the best in me."

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; December 5, 2018)

Even as Netflix's celebrated series Sacred Games continues to dominate pop culture conversations, the makers have dived headlong into the shoot of the second season. The show's production template remains the same as the first edition — director Anurag Kashyap weaves the world of Ganesh Gaitonde, essayed by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Neeraj Ghaywan will helm Sartaj Singh aka Saif Ali Khan's narrative. Vikramaditya Motwane will be the showrunner, this time around. In an interesting turn of events, Siddiqui's track has taken him to Kenya — the actor and Kashyap have been shooting in Nairobi over the past fortnight.

A source tells mid-day, "The show intercuts between Sartaj in Mumbai and Gaitonde in Kenya. The first edition ended with Gaitonde escaping from prison. This instalment sees him seeking refuge in Kenya where he eventually rises to power as a crime lord. The unit has planned a straight 50-day schedule there."

Those joining the Kenya unit include Elnaaz Nourozi, who will reprise her role as Zoya, and Marathi actor Amruta Subhash. "This season will explore the link between Zoya and Gaitonde. The team might also recreate Mumbai in Nairobi and film a few key sequences there." Meanwhile, Khan and Ghaywan have taken Sartaj Singh's narrative ahead in the bylanes of South Mumbai. "They will be shooting till the month-end," adds the source.