Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos recently appeared on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast. There, he spoke about the company’s decision to launch its Indian original programming with Sacred Games. He admitted that he wasn’t sure it was the right move.
He said, “Our very first Indian original show was Sacred Games. And I thought, ‘This is going to be great. People in India love movies. This is a TV show that feels as big as a movie, it has movie stars.’”
However, he added, “What I didn’t understand [was] that we were introducing a brand new kind of entertainment in a country the size of India.”
Later, he reflected on the timing and said, “If I did it all over again, would I have done Sacred Games a couple of years later, and did things that were more populist (instead)? Maybe.”
He further added, “We knew that India was going to be a slower journey to get to where we wanted to get to. But it’s a great prize, at the end of the day. The addressable market is growing in the next couple of years in India, so it’s exciting.”
Anurag Kashyap Reacts Strongly
Soon after Ted’s comments surfaced, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap reacted angrily on Threads. He co-directed Sacred Games and took offense to the suggestion that the show may have been a mistake.
He wrote, “He should have started with Saas Bahu .. he would have done well. Which he is doing now Z I always knew the tech guys are dumb when it comes to story telling but tedsarandos is the definition of dumb is what I didn’t know. Good to discover that. This explains everything now.”
Anurag clearly criticized Ted for not understanding storytelling in the Indian context and mocked his hindsight judgment.
Ektaa Kapoor Hits Back, Defends Saas-Bahu Shows
Meanwhile, Ektaa Kapoor, the queen of Indian television drama, didn’t hold back. She responded to Anurag’s remark without naming him but clearly addressed his mockery of saas-bahu serials.
On Instagram, she wrote, “You are so dumb… saying this puts you at an advantage ‘I’m smarter, cooler’ but naaaaaaaa! Darling, how about gracious!!! and self-aware?????? An art that a lot of artists don’t have!”
She then pointed out the cultural value of these shows. “’Saas bahu’ and their impact on Indian masses (how women got a voice in mass India) is well documented by prestigious Chicago research!”
Furthermore, Ektaa called out the elitist tone in Anurag’s post. She said, “But artists who talk of an inclusive world are actually more classist. We must do away with this ‘U can’t sit with us, we’re better’ attitude for democracy and fair play! Love n light to all.”
Netflix Collaborates with Ektaa Kapoor
Interestingly, just days before this online clash, Netflix announced a creative partnership with Ektaa Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms. On Ektaa’s birthday, Netflix posted, “Netflix and Ektaa Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms come together in a creative collaboration to craft compelling stories across formats.”
In response, Ektaa shared her excitement and wrote that this was her “best gift ever.”
This new collaboration comes at a time when the debate around what type of content works best in India continues to evolve.
