Anurag Kashyap calls Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos ‘dumb’ over Sacred Games remark: ‘Should have started with Saas Bahu’

Anurag Kashyap, the co-creator of Sacred Games starring Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, was left fuming after Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos' comment on the series, which marked the start of Netflix originals in India. After Ted shared his reservations for the show, Kashyap simply called him ‘dumb’ in his recent post.

Anurag Kashyap takes dig at Ted Sarandos

The 2018 show was a hit among viewers. However, its second season was received poorly, leading to the cancellation of the show for a third season.

A very angry Kashyap took to Instagram to express his disappointment and called Sarandos “the definition of dumb.”

Sarcastically suggesting that Netflix “should have started with Saas Bahu” Anurag Kashyap said it would have done well. “Which he is doing now,” he added, referring to Netflix's recent collab with Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms.

“I always knew the tech guys are dumb when it comes to story telling but Ted Sarandos is the definition of dumb is what I didn’t know,” Kashyap said.

“Good to discover that. This explains everything now.” Kashyap wrote alongside a screenshot of a news article on Ted Sarandos remarks.

What did Ted Sarandos say that left Anurag Kashyap so angry?

On Nikhil Kamath's podcast, Ted Sarandos said Sacred Games perhaps shouldn't have been Netflix's first Indian original, adding that the streaming giant could have done something more ‘populist’ instead.

“For me, 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 said.

However, at Netflix's “Streaming the New India: Culture, Connectivity & Creative Capital,” Sarandos said, “We took our big swing seven years ago with Sacred Games...And I knew that India would be a very important part of our journey.”

“What we found with Sacred Games is that great stories could transcend borders, languages and cultures, and really talk to the world. 'Sacred Games' proved that,” Sarandos added.

Here's how netizens reacted to Anurag Kashyap's outburst:

Sacred Games fans assembled in Anurag Kashyap's comment section and said it was this show “that got Netflix in the game.”

“Sacred Games was a doorway to web series in India. Always a fan,” said a social media user.

“Sacred Games was and is the top class series.. has a special place for years!” another added.

“Imagine not starting with Sacred Games,” a netizen said.

A user quipped: “Sacred Games was actually the show that got Netflix in game, ek dum opposite baat boli hai Ted uncle ne.”

“Let's grab some chairs and watch Netflix’s downfall in India,” added another user.