Overview

• Ted Sarandos said on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast that releasing Sacred Games as Netflix’s first Indian original may have been premature and that a more mainstream show might have connected faster with local viewers.
• Anurag Kashyap reacted on Instagram by calling Sarandos "the definition of dumb" and mocking the idea that Netflix should have started with a traditional 'saas-bahu' soap.
• Sacred Games, starring Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, launched in 2018 to critical acclaim but was canceled after two seasons despite plans for a third.
• Sarandos acknowledged India's subscription market is cautious and said Netflix has since pursued populist partnerships with figures like Kapil Sharma and Ekta Kapoor to boost growth.
• The disagreement highlights a broader debate over balancing creative risk-taking with mass appeal in India’s competitive streaming landscape.