Anurag Kashyap Slams Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, Calls Him "The Definition of Dumb" Over Sacred Games Remark

Sacred Games Co-Creator Anurag Kashyap Responds Harshly to Netflix CEO’s Comment

In a fiery Instagram outburst, renowned Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap called Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos “the definition of dumb” following the latter’s controversial comments about Netflix’s first Indian original series, Sacred Games.

Kashyap, known for his sharp storytelling and outspoken nature, co-created Sacred Games—a crime-thriller series that marked Netflix’s entry into the Indian original content space in 2018. The series starred Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. However, its second season received mixed reviews, and a third season was never greenlit.

💬 Kashyap on Instagram: “Netflix Should Have Started With Saas-Bahu Shows”

In a sarcastic post, Anurag Kashyap mocked Netflix’s shift toward more commercial Indian content and collaborations. Referring to Netflix’s recent partnership with Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms, he quipped:

“Should have started with Saas Bahu. It would have done well. Which he is doing now.”

He continued his criticism, writing:

“I always knew the tech guys are dumb when it comes to storytelling, but Ted Sarandos is the definition of dumb — is what I didn’t know. Good to discover that. This explains everything now.”

📢 What Did Ted Sarandos Say About Sacred Games?

On an episode of Nikhil Kamath’s podcast, Ted Sarandos reflected on Netflix’s India strategy and stated that launching with Sacred Games may not have been the ideal move:

“For me, if I did it all over again, would I have done Sacred Games a couple of years later, and done things that were more populist instead? Maybe.”

However, during a recent keynote at Netflix’s "Streaming the New India" event, Sarandos did acknowledge the significance of Sacred Games:

“We took our big swing seven years ago with Sacred Games. It proved that great stories could transcend borders, languages, and cultures.”

🔥 Netizens React: Fans Defend Sacred Games, Slam Sarandos

The internet was quick to respond to Kashyap’s post, with many fans defending Sacred Games as Netflix India’s cultural breakthrough.

Top Comments from Social Media:

"Sacred Games was a doorway to web series in India. Always a fan."

“It was Sacred Games that got Netflix in the game. Ted Uncle saying the opposite is just sad.”

“Imagine NOT starting with Sacred Games... That’s what put Indian streaming on the global map!”

🤝 Netflix Now Taps Into Mass Appeal with Balaji Telefilms

Interestingly, Netflix has now announced a long-term creative collaboration with Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms, signaling a shift towards more mainstream, mass-appeal Indian content—the very style Kashyap mocked in his post.

This move is seen by many as a strategy to capture Tier 2 and Tier 3 city audiences, a segment that Netflix has struggled with compared to rivals like Amazon Prime Video and JioCinema.