Discussing the Concepts of Power & Authority through 'Sacred Games'--Aakruti Singh

Sacred Games is undoubtedly a fine work of doing justice to a written work. Netflix’s first Indian original series, Sacred Games, is an adaptation of the novel by acclaimed writer Vikram Chandra. Jointly directed by Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane, it is now India’s first successful original web series.

There are various aspects through which one can analyze this web series. It has deep political connotations and the study of each of them brings out a different dimension to the series. One of the most interesting aspect that one cannot miss out is the brilliant way in which the concepts of power and authority are brought up in the series. The dynamic change of power and whom it lies with or who really is in authority to use power is one great component of the entire series.

The opening scene of the eight episode series questions the viewer whether they believe in God as a canine is falls off a multi-storeyed building. Ganesh Gaitonde asking ‘Bhagwan ko mante ho?' makes us realize that we may be directed towards thinking that power lies with the one who knows how to use it. Every character brings out the dynamics of power and authority throughout the series then. 

Sartaj Singh

Sartaj Singh is an honest inspector, caught in the midst of a corrupt police officers headed by DCP Parulkar. He is ridiculed and shrugged off by his colleagues, who feel he is good for nothing and a liability. He is hell-bent on testifying against them in a case of extrajudicial killing of an unarmed boy. Sartaj has now power against them. With no substantial cases to his credit, a failed marriage and no emotional support, Sartaj is shown to crumble personally in the face of the professional pressures. His frustration stems out of this under-utilization of his capabilities and a constant attacks on his self-esteem despite his high professional ethics.

This may be the reason why Sartaj wants to prove his worth and stand vindicated. Gaitonde's case then becomes his case to prove himself when he was asked to step back by his higher authorities. Gaitonde recognizes this hunger for power, appreciation, reward and recognition in Sartaj. In fact in the course of the episodes we see Sartaj over-stepping his authority several times. He procures criminal records which were otherwise out of bounds; visits crime scenes and uses evidence like Jojo Mascerenhas' car keys, all this while he was suspended from duty only because he was in the position of authority... 'in the uniform'.  

Power is situational. This is evident when Sartaj is found by Bunty's men while sneaking into his house to ensure the safety of Nayanika. Sartaj is beaten, his phone destroyed and car damaged. His legitimate authority does not match up with the brute power of the men. Malcolm Murad to mutilates Sartaj's thumb at a later stage while Sartaj is in the process of unraveling the mystery behind the tankers. Brutal and shifting power gets brilliantly presented in several such instances.  

Anjali Mathur

RAW officer Anjali Mathur works for one of the highest intelligence agencies in India. Despite her competence and commitment to her work, she is still denied the kind of authority that is enjoyed by her male counterparts due to her gender. She is advised to take up desk jobs over field. There is a certain mystery that shrouds her father’s disappearance which would also be critical in the nature of cases assigned to her.  

Anjali Mathur uses all her legal-rational authority on several occasions and makes use of power legitimately where required to help Sartaj escape the goons to solve the case. In her hunger to prove herself, and solve the case, Anjali does not have qualms to consider Nayanika as collateral. She does not misuse authority but she does not keep her promise to Sartaj.

Ganesh Gaitonde

At one point in time, Ganesh Gaitonde was the uncrowned king of Bombay. Police, politicians, Bollywood stars all knew about him and payed obeisance to him. He held not legitimate authority but bare power. From the Gopalmath garbage dump to some of the most heinous underworld businesses to several enterprises, Gaitonde controlled everything in Bombay. His name wielded power in the city for many years before he vanished into obscurity. With 158 murders and several other criminal cases against him, Gaitonde was on the radar for the city police as also RAW and ISI.

His quest for power was unlike Sartaj or Anjali. He wanted to become as powerful and become god himself. He believes he is immortal like Ashwatthama and at one point even addresses himself as “sarv shaktishali eklauta Bhagwan” of Gopalmath. He knew how to use religion and communal politics to gain his power. He even stated that religion was the biggest business in the world that could be used to manipulate and control people.

In the present, he tells Sartaj how Mumbai quenched his thirst for power. He admits to the presence of ‘three fathers’ or fatherly figures who paved way to his growth into the powerful man he has become. His poor biological father just gave him his life. It was Salim Kaka who taught Gaitonde to take risks, wrench power from impossible situations to the point that he unseats his tutor himself. Gaitonde then rules over money, drugs, gold and arms.

The third father is shown to have saved Gaitonde’s hellish life in jail. However, the viewers do not learn of his role in Gaitonde’s gaining power in Season 1. In fact it is Kanta Bai, who runs the country liquor shop and eatery, who plays an instrumental role in steering Gaitonde into taking over the Gopalmath garbage dump from Momin. Gaitonde builds his powerful underworld empire from here, killing or decimating his opposition and setting aside all legal-rational authority of police, Municipal Corporation and the like. This is his first taste of real power.

A very riveting showcase of power is when we see Gaitonde asserts his status at a club where he was previously denied entry for having no money. Winning over Kukoo from Issa is another episode of his assertion of power.

Despite his tremendous control over the underworld, Gaitonde then realizes that the real power lies in politics. He therefore tried his hand at funding an election campaign for Bhosale as his stooge.

Constable Katekar

A part of misuse of power which is sorrowful in the series is when Constable Katekar refuses to listen to the complaint of Shamshul’s mother who said her son is missing but Katekar gives no ear. It is later discovered that Shamshul was killed. Had Katekar taken action earlier the boy wouldn’t have died nor would Katekar. It effectively shows how a person in authority performing or not performing his duties has repercussions in the society.

Parulkar & Bhosale

Despite all the power and authority dynamics in the show, the most engrossing one is the present and past change of power and authority. We see that earlier it was Gaitonde that rose from the garbage dump on his own. He is obeyed by people around out of fear or obligation. This false showcase of obeisance changes the moment people stop deriving benefits from them.

Parulkar and Bhosale are seen foraging for power and therefore they approach Gaitonde. But Gaitonde knowing what kind of men he would be dealing with if he shakes hand with these two, distances himself from them. While Gaitonde was busy dealing with personal losses over time with Kukoo’s death, his marriage, his close friend Paritosh Bhai’s death, the world outside was changing. Politics had increasingly turned communal. Bhosale was going all out to make the most of the situation while Gaitonde lost his close confidants one after the other.

Bhosale and Parulkar wanted to use Gaitonde’s power for their own gains. So when Gaitonde was arrested it was the best time to get even with him for having insulted Parulkar and Bhosale for their corrupt and communal behaviour.

Power is dynamic and changes over time. Gaitonde’s power was negated and Parulkar subjected him to torture to prove his position of power. His former dependents now avenge all their insults.

Some other aspects of power    

One very gripping aspect of power in the series is where the stardom in its literal sense comes up. Zoya Mirza is shown as famous star in the B-town but it confuses the audience as to why a star or how a celebrity is connected to an underworld don like Gaitonde. Later we see how Zoya uses lust, emotions to gain sympathy from Parulkar and uses his authority so as to keep her association with Gaitonde hidden. She also sends her boyfriend behind the bars by plotting against him. Here it is shown in a subtle yet an amazing way how one can use lust as a very different way to attain the desired outcome. She manipulates Parulkar as a helpless victim of abuse and gets her way.

Zoya’s past shows how she had to compromise on several fronts and join the escort service racket run by Jojo Mascerenhas simply because she was powerless. She had to do things that she perhaps otherwise would not have chosen to do to attain her ends. Each person then adapts to power in one’s own way.

Conclusion  

Sacred Games is a brilliant work and it kept its viewers engaged till the very last episode. The vigorous way in which power and authority is presented is worth appreciation. The power play and dialogues in it are remarkably worked on.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Netflix Original Series: Sacred Games

Internet links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Games_ (TV_series)

Bombay--A Character by itself in 'Sacred Games'--Preetika Slathia

Mumbai is the city that never sleeps or the city of dreams or say India’s own New York City, bustling day and night with life. Call it whatever, it all eventually brings to light the powerful nature of the city which gives people their dreams or takes away a lot from them. But one thing that it surely gives a person is the opportunity—to realise their mettle and prove it. It’s a city of paradox, amidst slums you can see a high rise building. This paradox to an extent is a sad reality of the city which has Asia’s largest slum and at the same time has “billionaire raj” yet it has a silver lining which is that there are stories of rags to riches in this city, where people have freed themselves from all the shackles of class, caste, and their background, and have been able to make a fortune for them. This city gives them the chance to write their fate unlike most of the cities where, one’s birth decides one’s life and limits. As said by Napoleon Hill, “your only limitation is the one you set up in your own mind.”

Mumbai gives this kind of freedom and empowerment. No wonder then that thousands of people migrate to this city from all walks and strata of life, to make a life and living in this city which is known to be the land of opportunities. Mumbai has gained a reputation to change lives through books, articles, movies and other media. These have thrown light on how the city builds or ruins lives. There are success stories of migrants who make it big in the famed film industry while there are others who are lured and engulfed in the trap of glamour and the price it comes at.  

The new medium of web series addresses these aspects of society commonly ignored by the mainstream films. Netflix recently unveiled its first Indian series, a compelling, cops-and-gangsters epic, Sacred Games. With Sacred Games, Mumbai—called by its older name of Bombay  throughout the series—is a magnificent backdrop to a series about police, corruption, rampant crime and a mystery revolving around looming destruction that may or may not start with religious factions rising up to destroy the city. Sacred Games co-directors Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane take every opportunity to use the city as a functional, important character in the story, as is the case with New York or any number of smaller but distinct locales in American series. You can sense the gap in class structure, be overwhelmed by the density and broil, heat, sweat, grime and rush of activity. There are long stretches of beautifully shot scenes where Mumbai/Bombay is as magnetic and nuanced as any character in the series. The series revolves around a low ranking cop who is mysteriously contacted by a big gangster, Ganesh Gaitonde, who has been missing and thought dead for 15 years. Gaitonde tells Singh that he has 25 days to save Mumbai before everybody in it will die. It's a nice hook that sets itself and then takes a back seat to Gaitonde's story, which is narrated in repeated and long expositional phone calls to Singh.

The action then unfolds in flashback as Gaitonde rises from street beggar to feared slum gangster. Before we go forward, right here his rise to staggering power of a feared slum gangster displays the power of Bombay in its full glory. This character was a runaway migrant to Bombay and the city completely changed his fate. He knew he wanted to overthrow his life of poverty and displace several powerful people in the bargain. Bombay gave him that opportunity

Ganesh in the series recounts that he is a son of a simpleton Brahmin, who spent most of time reciting god's name and survived on alms. Ganesh disapproved of this practice and equated it with begging. Ganesh migrated to Bombay and worked at a restaurant and befriended Mathu who introduced him to the lucrative business of drugs. Fired from his job at the restaurant, he worked with Salim Kaka, a tall & strong and dreaded gold smuggler. The greed for money, ambition and power drove Ganesh into believing that if he mustered the courage to kill Salim, he would be akin to the legendary Ashwathama. He eventually killed him and started thinking of himself as invincible like god.

Gaitonde’s friendship with Paritosh Shah, a goldsmith, got him a mentor who opened new avenues of business to him. Gaitonde’s rise to power from the garbage dump of Gopalmath gives an insight into how opportunities and success came to him in the city in the most unforeseen quarters. He built his own gang and became a force to reckon with in the underworld.   

Sacred Games also takes a deep look at Bollywood in the fold. It shows an up and coming actress with a certain connection with Gaitonde and threatens someone to retrieve her file from a talent manager as soon as she learns of Gaitonde’s death. The dead talent manager in fact has her own share of mysteries which are uncovered by Sartaj Singh and RAW agent Anjali Mathur. This Jojo Mascerenhas has huge stashes of counterfeit currency supplied by Pakistan’s ISI and has been a dubious escort service supplying Bollywood and TV actresses to clients, including Gaitonde. This shows the interlinked connections of big powerful forces in a one web. The fact that ISI supplied fake currency is found at the talent managers house shows that there is not only good opportunities, the fact that what one is made of and what one is willing to do to earn money decides what one can make of an opportunity. It’s a rat race and everyone is trying to pave a way to success by sweat or by blood acceptable to oneself.

There are many characters which can be our prism, through which we can look at the various colours of this city, on how it changed so many lives. The character of Kukoo unfolded as Gaitonde’s ambition and pursuit. Events pace up as Gaitonde clinched her from the rival gang leader, Suleiman Isa after a shootout. Believed to bring good luck to the person she sided, Kukoo was believed to be the roadmap to conquer Bombay. The revelation that Kukoo was a transgender brings the role of Bombay in a whole new light. While transgender community was considered as an outcast and looked down upon with immense prejudice and live in the fringes of the society, here was Kukoo who was considered a trophy to win over. The city allowed her to start her life as a clean slate and create her own identity of the glam girl. The city gave her the life of glitter, gave her the wings to live a life of her choice and disclose only that part of her that she wanted the world to know of her.

Again, while Gaitonde climbed his way up the ladder, he mingled with politicians and police officials. Some of these rose to formidable positions of power through the years. A small time sycophant and stooge to the gangster secured political favours from Gaitonde to capture his communal votebank, over the years rising in political power and becoming the Home Minister. DCP Parulkar also rose to his post over the years despite his questionable ways of functioning.

Another character that draws attention towards the opportunities that the city has to offer is the character of Zoya. The journey of this leading actor in the film industry began from her home town in Afghanistan to the city of Mumbai, changing and hiding identities and providing sexual favours through the talent manager

The RAW agent in the series seems to have an eye for field work but she is constantly reminded of how it is expected to be a man's job. She got the opportunity to work on this case in Mumbai where she could fight male chauvinism and work as a field agent. Bunty, who used to work for Gaitonde was also another story of rags to riches.

Set in Mumbai, Sacred Games delves into the city's intricate web of organized crime, corruption, politics and espionage that lie beneath India's economic renaissance. It is an epic masterwork of exceptional richness and power that interweaves the lives of the privileged, the famous, the wretched and the bloodthirsty. Gaitonde’s rise from the garbage dump to the King of Gopalmath serves as a definitive recap of how religion and politics became mutually satisfied bedfellows in India. He narrates his story in the context of landmark events like the Shah Bano case, Babri Masjid demolition, Mumbai bomb blasts and the rise of the Hindu right wing in the country, recalling how each of these events affected his life, his gang, and his ‘karmabhoomi’ Mumbai. There are even mentions of the partition and the 26/11 terror attacks, creating a timeline of intolerance and terror that continues to add new dates to its tab. The series brings to surface the various dynamics of the city of Mumbai and how everyone is in a race for power, money and many other motives. The power of the commercial capital is portrayed in sections where it was conveyed that even during the time of Emergency in 1975 when the whole country was in turmoil, anarchy and chaos, Bombay was still growing. The city gave many characters the power to jump their social bracket and enter places they never thought they could. The city makes one come in contact with one's own self that one wasn’t aware of.

No other place could seem to give as many opportunities to the characters. There is a thing in Bombay--a phenomenon that it is a city is known to have work for everyone and that no one sleeps hungry. As mentioned earlier, the series reflects on the part where Bombay did not seem to slow down its pace, be it in response to the Emergency in 1975 or several communal challenges that followed in the 90s. The spirit of the city has helped it live through these situations with businesses running despite challenging situations.

Like they say, where this is good, there is evil and one can’t exist without the other. Similarly, if it's a land of opportunities, Bombay/Mumbai comes with its own sets of setbacks. When there is a race for power and money, one would be expected to compromise on morality.  The series contemplated this matter as well. So winning elections through communalism and using religion to divide and may be even kill people in extreme cases is one such example. Fame, glamour and success would also come at a personal price. Where there is a race, there is competition as the positions to hold as limited but the aspirants to those positions are many, likewise the resources are limited but greed is never ending. When the competition turns unhealthy, there comes a point where winning at any cost is important which gives rise to the monster that can eat up all the vitals of humanity like the series ends hinting at a chemical/ nuclear blast.

In a nutshell, there are always two sides of the coin. If Bombay offers opportunities, it also poses moral dilemmas wherein one has to choose success or morality; glamour or ethics. Choosing one over the other could lead to catastrophic events.

Bombay is a city of paradox. Billionaires, Bollywood stars and slum dwellers are all part of the same city. Bombay is a place where it is easy to die. But it is not possible, even for a second in this pulsating city with its unrelenting assault and success on the other hand to forget that one is alive. It is the commercial capital, brings laurels to the country but at the same time Mumbai also holds the dubious distinction of being home to Asia's largest slums where, according to government statistics, 60 percent of all city residents live. Bombay a city where people gain a lot, lose a lot, few love it and even fewer have left their mark on it--THE CITY OF DREAMS.

Gender Dynamics in 'Sacred Games'--Kavya Modi

In the absence of censorship on platforms like Netflix, India is expanding its horizon in terms of the content that is being both created and watched. It is no surprise then that Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane with the writing of Varun Grover, Smita Singh and Vasant Nath would create a show like Sacred Games. Based on the novel by Vikram Chandra, the show is set in what seems to be the parallel life of Bombay, a city that is typically associated with dreams and aspirations.

It revolves around a police officer, Sartaj Singh and a gangster, Ganesh Gaitonde who are woven together by a past. Gaitonde’s death comes with an warning of destruction of  Mumbai and  This crime thriller takes the audience through both the sides of the city along with different aspects of the society and culture of the past and the present. It is dirty yet bold and realistic: the furtive sex scenes and acts of bloodshed. The underbelly of Bombay does not fit into the imagination of the common man, it is in fact far away from it. However, in spite of the portrayal of the city almost as a character in the show, what becomes more fascinating is the way in which the show treats gender. The show moves from looking into the stereotypes and what is beyond along with trying to challenge them without obviously resisting them. As marked by Amy S Wharton, “Gender is a central organizing principle of social life”, it is very important to have a look upon the gender approach and outlook of female characters by the writers and the makers of this series.

“Cuckoo ka Jadoo”

Cuckoo, played by the very talented Kubrat Sait, is a transgender cabaret dancer whose perceived charm can take over the entire city and she is very well aware of it. Gaitonde is shown to have fallen in love with her at first sight but is it really love or his lust for power and sex? He knew that to have Cuckoo beside him will help him to replace Suleiman Isa or anyone for that matter. She willingly runs away with Gaitonde despite knowing the consequences. She comes out as a very strong character as it is set in the 1980s.  Our society and culture doesn’t accept transgender, lesbians, bisexuals and Cuckoo’s boldness then stands out as does her vulnerabilities once her identity is disclosed. The revelation of her gender identity was a particular strong point of the show. In fact, accepting one’s own identity, being comfortable with it is the first and most important task. Later, both are shown to be immensely in love with each other but Cuckoo knows her actual place in the society and asks Ganesh to leave her and move on in life as it would be the only way he can rule Bombay and at the same time be a hero. She inspires him by saying “Jab Teri picture banegi, log Deewar bhool jaenge”.  Sadly, she commits suicide as she knew the future holds nothing for her and that Ganesh can move on only through this. This particular character has been portrayed in a very sensible manner, not with pity or mockery for transgender as shown in other Indian cinema or television.

Using religion to demolish notions

The writers have subtly shown how people use religion to uplift the status of women. Bunty, a member of the gang, is a very ruthless person. He is characterized as communal and an outright male chauvinist who abuses women and treats them as objects. He is shown to verbally and physically abuse his sister for her romantic liaison and likens her to a prostitute. The character of Kanta Bai stops him from his violent behavior one dat and tells him to respect women as they are Goddesses, “Devi Hoti hai aurat”. It is interesting how they are using the stereotypical notions about religion to assert the position of women. Should we respect the ‘weaker’ sex only when it is compared to or held up to the status of a “high spiritual power”?

Internalization of Patriarchy

“You think that men should be at the field and women behind the desks’’

The show also reflects on the internalization of patriarchy in our society. It is embedded everywhere. Time and again Anjali Mathur, a RAW agent, is asked to do desk work though not overtly told that it is because of her gender. Her friend and ex-boyfriend asks her to focus on her analysis which is her forte and not to get into the field work. Anjali refutes it by saying that, “Agar mard field pe kaam karna chahe toh passion, aur agar aurat karna chahe toh bhoot?”  Our society always thinks that women should work within the four walls, do the household chores, take care of the children or do the 9-5 office desk job. A woman is the flag bearer of the family honor and going out on field work raises serious concerns about her security in general and her ability to fulfill her domestic responsibilities. One can see the frustration on Anjali’s face when Sartaj asks her not to come to the warehouse. It infuriates her that men think it's their duty to save all the women. It shows that how patriarchy prevails in every sphere of our society. But she is not ready to sit within the four walls and work according to her superiors as she knows that this way the case will never be resolved. She is fierce and takes it on her to go after the information received. When attacked by the goons at the warehouse, it is Anjali’s presence of mind and courage that helps Sartaj pursue the mission.

Not a gender binary 

This show is not portraying gender as a binary. All women are both determined and vulnerable at the same time. The scriptwriters haven't tried to make Subhadhra as only a submissive wife or Anjali as a full-fledged kickass lady who kills bad people or gangsters. They both are shown as human beings, having emotions, tackling situations in their own way.  What then remains is the individuality of the characters and not their genders. Anjali is still trying to get a closure about his missing father. But that doesn’t make her weak or affect her work adversely. She deals with it and is determined to get the case solved. She doesn’t care about Nainika or anyone for that matter. She doesn’t mind lying to Sartaj about keeping Nainika safe as it was already a collateral damage for her just like it would have been for any other agent. She is practical and professional as a RAW agent.

Variety of female figures showcasing different roles  

The show has a variety of female figures depicting different roles—from Ganesh Gaitonde’s mother to Anjali. Gaitonde’s mother indulges in adultery maybe because of her husband’s neglect and penury. Extra-marital affairs are perceived with extreme negativity in the society. So while young Ganesh Gaitonde gets mocked at school to the extent that he ends up killing his own mother, one would question whether the same thumb rule would apply to a man—may be his father—had he been shown to be in such a relation.

Kanta Bai, performed by Shalini Vatsa, is a very fierce and bold lady. She runs a desi bar which is like an adda to the local gang members, all by herself. She plays a vital role in the rise of Gaitonde in the underworld and stands by him throughout by being a mother-like figure. She encourages him to fulfill his dream which is to rule over Mumbai by being audacious. When two of his gang members, Bunty and Bada Badariya, get into a communal quarrel at the bar, she gets a vessel of hot piping water and throws at them and warns them that it would be boiling oil the next time. She lives among them and is not intimidated by them at all. Gaitonde respects her and touches her feet every time he goes for some important work. She hits out at Bunty for being a misogynist. She had vocally supported Bunty’s sister getting married to Chhota Badariya, who is a Muslim, as they both love each other. She pities Nainika and feeds her after she had faced one of Bunty’s violent bouts. She knew there was no way to get this girl out of the trap, therefore, she anonymously calls Sartaj and asks him to save Nainika. She doesn’t hesitate from looking out for other women and demands respect for them. She shatters all the stereotypes about women being weak and naïve as she stands strong and wise throughout the show.

Rajshri Deshpande brilliantly plays the role of Subhadra, Kanta Bai’s aide-de-camp and later Gaitonde’s too. She is very shy and submissive but when she gets married to Ganesh Gaitonde, she doesn't back out from being dominant in bed or setting her own terms on how she should be treated. She totally goes no hold barred. She doesn't hesitate from telling blunt truth to Ganesh and advises him every now and then. Yet she is like any ordinary woman, firmly believing in God for having saved her husband’s life. She becomes so important in Ganesh’s life that when she gets murdered, he kills about 80 innocent people.

Shalini, Katekar’s wife played by is another character although not much emphasis has been laid on it. She is a devoted wife who loves her family. The scene when Zoya Mirza, Katekar’s favorite actor, comes on stage to perform and she along with her children look at him and tease him is so pure. She always supports her husband yet is angry like any Indian homemaker because he doesn’t spend much time with the family due to his unpredictable working hours.

Grey areas brought about by Zoya

Other than Zoya, every woman is trying to emancipate herself without staying away from her integrity. She is shown to be one of the leading actresses but with Ganesh Gaitonde’s death, deep secrets from her past are revealed to her boyfriend who then tries to use them to get Zoya sign his father’s film. To get out of this, she devises a plan to get him arrested by playing the victim card in front of DCP Parulkar. She literally hurts herself in the face for it. It is not a question of integrity but the question of survival because if her past identity was out in public, her whole career would have burnt down to ashes. It shows the gender obligation in a way because if it was about a male actor, he could still get out of it but a woman needs to be pure and ethical in order to have the so-called respect of others.

Death of all female characters

By the end of the show we see that all female characters, from Cuckoo committing suicide to Subhadhra’s death, are killed to further the plot, except for Zoya and Kanta Bai. Each female’s life or death is shown as the motivating factor in a male character’s life. But was it really necessary? Why do women have to die to push the story ahead? Just when the character of Anjali builds up, she is shot by the assassin. Similarly, Subhadra is killed during the shootout at Gaitonde’s house. Both the deaths were the most disappointing parts of the show. The second season of the show would determine whether the female characters and their role are any different.

The show goes beyond mere binary and attempts to show greater insights into gender within the parameters of an exciting thriller. However, in spite of its apparent gender sensitive approach one cannot neglect the deaths of the women and how dispensable they are to the plot. The commodification of women could be seen in the entire series. From Cuckoo for Gaitonde or Isa to Nainika for Bunty, each man needs to “own” a woman in order to be either successful or have a place of authority. It tries to question stereotypes by portraying them and even resists them but a more serious interrogation opens up another debate on its portrayal of women.

References

https://www.netflix.com/browse
www.Google.com
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6077448/
https://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/sacred-games-maps-the-city-through-series-communal-riots-1611550

Changing Market Approach towards Web Series--Shweta Patil

India’s media and entertainment industry today is booming, and is expected to achieve the USD $100 billion mark in couple of years. But the scene was a lot different a few decades ago, when the means and modes of entertainment were quite different from now. There were fewer films released annually at single screen theatres. Radio sets brought in the daily dose of news and entertainment into households. Families would eagerly gather around the radio set and listen to news and songs for hours. Television meant a couple of Doordarshan (DD) channels which had fixed show timings and did not run 24x7. Some of the finest content came on air in the form of ‘Hum Log’, ‘Buniyaad’ and ‘Tamas’. In the later years we saw the Indian epics ‘Mahabharat’ and ‘Ramayan’ holding the people glued to television on Sunday mornings.

Then came an era when music players and cassettes were in vogue followed by Walkman and Videocassette Recorder (VCR). However, no new medium had a life altering impact like the one brought about by the cable television which brought hundreds of private channels into the living rooms of Indians, altering choices, tastes and arguably their culture. Direct To Home (DTH) then, altered the entire concept and experience of television watching in India. The concept of ‘infotainment’ had arrived with news and entertainment channels vying for viewership through various strategies.

What took the whole entertainment business to the whole new level was the introduction and soaring use of the Internet. The growth of this unconventional sphere was slow but with increasingly affordable handheld devices and data plans changed the whole market. With the introduction of 4G, the online content creation and consumption exploded. The very dynamic Over the Top (OTT) entertainment space is evolving every day. It proves that there is a new world beyond television where consumers can access a whole new buffet of entertainment of their liking. It is a world where one does not have to wait for a show’s next episode.

Global entertainment players—including Amazon and Netflix—now take the Indian markets extremely seriously. Both the entertainment giants have barrelled into the entertainment business in the world's second-most populous country, investing millions of dollars to develop Indian series. Their strategy has evidently been to start early and capture the digital renaissance in India.

Recent entry of newer players on the horizon indicates that there is enough space for multiple players in this sector which will only grow further due to the fact that India's digital infrastructure is improving at a fast pace. According to the consulting firm Ernst & Young (EY), India had 160 million digital video viewers at the end of 2016. With increasing broadband penetration, promotional offers by the new telecom and cheaper mobile data plans, this number is rapidly growing.

A new breed of content creators has evolved over the past three to four years. Creators who are conjuring up content exclusively for digital audience with web series production have broken away from  conventional methods of entertainment (read films and television), driven massively by the younger audience. It has created a new age of celebrities and digital content creators who are not averse to exploring themes and issues as yet uncharted in the sphere of entertainment, story-telling and expanded their outreach to global audience. Content writers began to earn comparable or even better fees as their film industry counterparts who had grappled with opaque budgets and the excessive focus on celebrity directors and actors. YouTube in fact, became the game-changer. It unlocked the creative potential of obscure, unknown people who gained not only acceptance and popularity but also became digital superstars in a short span of time. It provides an opportunity for an average Indian to showcase his/her talent to the world audience. Also, it helps the content creators to earn from their creativity and make a living out of it.

With time, the Hindi film industry and its actors realised the potential in the sector and soon found the need to mould themselves according to the changing trends and evolving times. Earlier the web was not exactly the place where mainstream actors would want to be associated with. But one can see that things have changed rapidly.

Mainstream commercial films have usually served topics according to the tastes of the conservative audience. Additionally, it has to undergo a censorship scrutiny. Online content sharing then allows tremendous creativity, flexibility and freedom to filmmakers with no censor board breathing down their necks. They can decide their audience; cater to their wider, dynamic needs and still remain unique and exciting. As a consequence, we see the introduction of new cutting edge and innovative concepts in the area of original programming with increasing experimentation in formats, casts, storytelling, etc. New segments are identified each day to cater to the different needs of viewers, placing the viewer/consumer at the pivotal position. Exceptional web shows came to be introduced in 2017 which gained instant viewer approval, making ‘binge watching’ a commonly known term.

Each web series has a different concept which only proves that there is a space for creativity to be unleashed—unrestrained. The rise of original web shows and their increasing popularity will likely change the way we view prime-time television content. It is not enough to make one good video but to keep producing good content to keep the viewer hooked. The plots have been more relatable and the content is presented in a structural form which co-relates with the present generation’s views and opinion in a better form attracting the young audience.

Before Netflix and Amazon Prime Video arrived, there was more than one homegrown video streaming service in India. But most of them were from media companies and television broadcasters to explore the new media for their existing content and offer new- age content to attract a newer, younger audience.

In terms of original content from India, Amazon Prime Video is more assertive and also leads with its marketing plans. It made news by signing up 14 comedians for comedy specials in one go and announced several India specific content made by India's leading film directors. It has already aired India's first original web series—Inside Edge. Amazon has also released several other original Indian series aimed squarely at the mass market including a drama about professional cricket, a workplace sitcom, a musical reality show, a dating programme and a slew of stand-up comedy specials—all which have received positive reviews. Amazon Prime Video, the video-on-demand platform of the Seattle based online retailer, is producing more than 20 original series in India, making India one of its leading market globally.

Netflix has announced seven local series, starting with Sacred Games—a Hindi-English language adaptation of Vikram Chandra's 2006 novel steeped in Mumbai's criminal underworld—due for worldwide realise this year. Reed Hastings (Founder & Chief Executive, Netflix) said that if viewers liked Narcos or The Crown—two of Netflix's most popular dramatic series—they would enjoy Sacred Games.

We also notice a new trend among the Indian viewer/consumer. They are now ready to pay for premium quality content. While Netflix and Amazon Prime Video may be eyeing the same market, they have a slightly different approach for the Indian market. Netflix plans are expensive, starting at $7.66 (₹500) per month, while Prime Video comes bundled with an Amazon Prime subscription that comes in at just $7.64 (₹499) per year and offers several promotional and shipping benefits on the online store. But their initial subscriber figures are low: Amazon had a little more than 6,00,000 Prime Video users at the end of 2017 while Netflix had 5,20,000 subscribers. Their paid services are competing against nearly 30 Indian streaming portals, many of which give away popular sports and local language programming for free.

Both companies have big budgets, aggressive marketing and growing libraries of Indian content. “Both Netflix and Amazon realise that, independent of their international library, local content created by Indians is extremely important in regards with India. They're pumping in quite a lot of money in creating that local library...and original programming is going to be important for both of them”, says Frank D'souza, a media and entertainment analyst at PWC, Mumbai.

The popularity of Indian local series libraries has grown significantly and it is interesting to see players from Indian film industry entering and cashing in on the digital spaces. Big actors like Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Saif Ali Khan have tried their hand at the web series genre and are venturing the unexplored territory. Platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Voot, ALTBalaji and Viu featured popular actors in their web series  A few more popular names that are now associated with web series in recent times are Sunny Leone in her biopic ‘Karenjit Kaur: The Untold Story’, Nimrat Kaur in ‘The Test Case’ & ‘Wayward Pines’, Ram Kapoor & Sakshi Tanwar in ‘Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat’, Priyanka Chopra in ‘Quantico’, Rana Daggubati in ‘Social’, Rajkummar Rao in ‘Bose
Dead/Alive’, Vivek Oberoi and Richa Chadha in ‘Inside Edge’, R Madhavan and
Amit Sadh in ‘Breathe’, Swara Bhaskar in ‘It's Not That Simple’, Lisa
Haydon in ‘The Trip’.

When it comes to the marketing, PR and the payment scale of the series and the artist working towards it, it is more or less similar like the Hindi film industry. Audience may still connect with the established actors which may presently shape the PR and marketing strategies. The pay scale in films is significantly higher than a web series but these actors have been paid significantly well as per the work schedule. An industry source reported that actors have been paid in the range of ₹50 lakhs to ₹1.5 crore for a series and far more in case of A-lister actors. Web series allow actors to stay in the minds of their audience during gaps between movie assignments while also compensating them well.

At present web series are not only grabbing viewer’s eyeballs but also coming to the attention of various brands and advertisers to reach out to a right set of audiences. The taste and demands of the new age viewers are constantly changing, and content providers are exploring new ways to deliver original programmes specific to the digital audience with OTT players.

As long as these digital platforms are open to fresh ideas and less dependent on legacy, formulation and big names, the content from India is set to pole vault into a world class league. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that viewership in the online space has begun to display signs of a potential future and a progressive growth is definitely brewing. It is definitely proving that the Content is indeed King.

References:

• http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-india-netflix-amazon-2018-story.html
• www.indiantelevision.com/iworld/ott-services/web-series-a-sensation-waiting-to-roll-out-fully-160425%3famp
•  www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/sacred-games-how-indias-most-trending-netflix-series-was-made/1313756
• https://m.dailyhunt.in/news/india/english/the+better+india-epaper-bettind/rise+of+the+web+series+indian+directors+on+what+it+takes+to+make+internet+films-newsid-81671008

Web Series: Flexibility, Freedom and Fetters--Akshat Tiwary

“Censorship is to art as lynching is to justice.”     ― Henry Louis Gates Jr.

According to the Supreme Court of India:

‘Film censorship becomes necessary because a film motivates thought and action and assures a high degree of attention and retention as compared to the printed word. The combination of act and speech, sight and sound in semi darkness of the theatre with elimination of all distracting ideas will have a strong impact on the minds of the viewers and can affect emotions. Therefore, it has as much potential for evil as it has for good and has an equal potential to instill or cultivate violent or bad behaviour. It cannot be equated with other modes of communication. Censorship by prior restraint is, therefore, not only desirable but also necessary.’

Censorship

The reason behind the apex court supporting censorship is because the visual media impacts not only a person’s mind but also influences the thought process. It then becomes pertinent to check upon viewership of content which is usually labeled as ‘bold and strong’. This may include consumption of drugs and alcohol, depicting sex, sexuality and nudity and explicit violence. It is only right that audience with an appropriate age and maturity have access to it. We have witnessed in our country, over time the increase in intolerance with regards to not only films but also other mediums of expression as well, with two forms of censor bodies emerging, first the constitutional or statutory body (which includes bodies that have been given authority and power by the constitution or by the laws of the government) i.e., CBFC  which is tasked with “regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952’’ and the second type of bodies that have emerged are self-authorised and self-appointed organisations who take it upon themselves to decide which work of art is appropriate for the society.

Censorship is not a new concept for the people of India; Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has always been an integral part of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It was founded in 1951. CBFC certifies films for unrestricted public exhibition (‘U’); unrestricted public exhibition subject to parental guidance for children below the age of 12 years (‘U/A’) or restricted to adult audiences (‘A’) on the basis of its contents. Over the years, several films have been banned whilst few are not granted U/A certification and have to be released only with ‘A’ certification the CBFC. Other movies have faced the wrath of fringe groups who have burnt posters, threatened film makers and actors, vandalised theatres going ahead with the release and showcasing a particular movie, and overall tried to disrupt the release or create a ruckus scaring the public from watching the films. These movies may then have content which offend people’s ‘sensibilities’ by critically examining governmental policies and peoples’ personal preferences such as religion.

Controversies

1.      Fringe groups, mainly in Maharashtra, protested against the title of the film ‘Billu Barber’ (2009). They found the use of the term ‘barber’ in the title derogatory, as a result of which the filmmakers decided to drop the ‘barber’ and the movie released as ‘Billu’.

2.      ‘Madras Café’ (2013) is a political spy thriller which is set with the backdrop of Sri Lankan civil war, India’s intervention, leading to the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Many pro-Tamil outfits criticised the depiction of Lankan Tigers of Tamil Eelam and Sri Lankan Tamils and demanded the film be banned. However, the movie was released by the court order.

3.      ‘PK’ (2014) is a satirical comedy-drama questioning religious dogmas, practices and superstitions. The film faced protests from pro–religious groups for hurting their religious sentiments. The film received phenomenal success on release and became the first Indian movie to gross 300 crores INR.

4.      More recently, ‘Padmavat’ (2018) faced protests by several groups whose members vandalised the sets while the movie was being filmed not once but on different occasions. These affected the shoot schedule and production costs. The filmmaker and several actors of the film received threats of violence. While the film secured immense support from within the film industry, many political parties relentlessly called for a ban on it. The Supreme Court dismissed a petition calling to stop the film's release citing the freedom of speech and expression.

The controversies surrounding the film re-opened the question of film censorship in India and the country's freedom of expression. Several films have had to struggle to obtain clearance from the CBFC. There are also others which never released at all or at least in India. Some of them are mentioned below:

1.      Deepa Mehta’s ‘Elements’ trilogy- ‘Fire’, ‘Earth’ and ‘Water’ is banned for public exhibition in India.

2.      ‘Gulabi Aaina’ (The Pink Mirror), a film on Indian transsexuals produced and directed by Sridhar Rangayan.

3.      The documentary ‘Final Solution’, which looks at religious rioting between Hindus and Muslims, was banned. The ban was lifted in October 2004 after a sustained campaign.

4.      ‘Amu’ faced the wrath of the Censor Board as it was based on the Shonali Bose’s book of the same name, focusing on the 1984 anti- Sikh riots.

5.      In 2006, seven states banned the release of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ (and also the book by the same name), although the CBFC cleared the film for adult viewing throughout India. The respective High Courts lifted the ban and the movie was shown in the two states.

6.      The CBFC demanded five cuts from the 2011 American film ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ which depicted rape and nudity. The producers and the director David Fincher finally decided not to release the film in India.

7.      In 2016, ‘Udta Punjab’, produced by Anurag Kashyap and Ekta Kapoor among others, ran into trouble with the CBFC, resulting in a very public re-examination of the ethics of film censorship in India. The film depicted a structural drug problem in the State of Punjab, used a lot of expletives and blatantly showed scenes of drug use. The film was cleared by the Bombay High Court.

8.      In 2017, ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, produced by Prakash Jha, ran into trouble with the CBFC which refused to certify the film. The filmmakers appealed this decision to the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), which overruled the censor board's ruling, thereby granting the film a theatrical release rights.

The above-mentioned names are only a few of the shockingly long list of films which have fought or are fighting their way to see the light of the day. What is even more alarming is the censorship upon an individual film-maker or a production house to curtail or curb the freedom of expression and to have to fight for it is goes on to speak volumes on the monitoring of creative expression whether it is a documentary or a work of fiction. Things are touted to change with the changing approach towards new content with the onset of the Internet.

Rise of Internet and Creation of New Platforms for Content Sharing

The rapid growth in the use of mobile telephony, handheld devices and affordable availability of the Internet brought in various video sharing platforms where anyone could upload their work. One of the most commonly used platforms is ‘YouTube’. YouTube allows users to upload, view, rate, share, report, comment on videos, and subscribe to other users. It offers a wide variety of user-generated and corporate media videos, which includes TV show clips, music videos, short and documentary films, audio recordings, movie trailers, live streaming, and other content such as video blogging, short original videos along with educational videos. Most of the content on YouTube is uploaded by individuals, but media corporations including CBS, the BBC, Vevo, and Hulu offer some of their material. Unregistered users can only watch videos on the site, while registered users are permitted to upload an unlimited number of videos and add comments to videos. Videos deemed potentially inappropriate are available only to registered users affirming themselves to be 18 years and above. YouTube membership is free of cost. However, its premium version offers advertisement-free streaming, access to exclusive content, background and offline video playback on mobile devices, and access to the ‘Google Play Music All Access’ service. While YouTube is banned in some countries, it is available in India without any restrictions.

With the acceptance of online content and the immense popularity gained in a short period of time, many indigenous entertainment content platforms have emerged such as, Arré, The Viral Fever (TVF), AIB, ALTBalaji, Zee5, Hotstar, VB on Web, Voot and Y-films to name a few following the global success and entry of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in India. Other successful foreign content providers such as Viu have also entered the Indian market.

Experimenting with Content and Censorship

Typically the release of a commercial film involves a complex post-production procedure from obtaining certification to finding a distributor for release and avoiding clashes with other films with equally popular actors. Sometimes the release of other films affects the number of screens and showtimes for an upcoming film.

Web series on the contrary offers immense flexibility. It is a series of scripted or non-scripted videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet and part of the web-television medium. It can be released any of the abovesaid online platforms on any day by anyone whether an individual or media corporation without any major hindrances or obstacles and reach a global audience. There is no struggle to find a distributor or a particular date and the content will be available online for the audience for ‘anytime-anywhere’ viewing as per their convenience as well as for viewing in rapid succession commonly known as ‘binge watching’.

This has provided the indie-filmmakers with an opportunity to explore and experiment with content while freely expressing themselves through their work. The online web shows explore realistic themes such as homosexuality (ALTBalaji’s ‘Romil and Jugal’, VB on Web’s ‘Maaya 2’ and ‘All about Section 377’), women issues (Y-films’ ‘Man’s world’), sexual fantasy (VB on Web’s ‘Maaya’), pressure to excel in studies (Laakhon Mein Ek), marriage and post-marriage struggle (Y-film’s ‘Bang Baaja Baraat,’ Voot’s ‘Timeout’) what actually happens behind glitz and glamour of the Indian television industry (Arré’s ‘I don’t watch TV’), mixture of corruption and glamour behind sports (Amazon’s ‘Inside Edge’) and breaking stereotypes (Voot’s ‘Chinese Bhasad’ and ‘Sinskaari’). Along with these there is Ram Gopal Varma, who launched his web show, ‘Guns and Thighs’, with a seven-minute long trailer containing frontal nudity and wall-to-wall profanity.

Major players like Amazon Prime and Netflix have guidelines when it comes to content, be it original or acquired. In the case of Amazon Prime, it was very cautious when it began its streaming video service in the country — it blurred and censored a lot of content in order to please the local laws and not hurt sentiments of any individual or groups. Apple iTunes get their contents approved by CBFC regardless of the fact that the particular film has been theatrically released or not in India. Hotstar self regulates their content which is available for the members for free, however, the premium members have access to uncensored content. Chris Jaffe, Netflix’s Vice President of Product Innovation had said, “Of course, we don't wish to flout any local laws. But we plan to take this on a case by case basis. For now, all content is uncensored on Netflix. we also have a rating system for our content and that's clearly visible when you're watching a movie or show. So we will warn a user if a content has strong language, violence etc.”

Perhaps the best contribution is by Netflix India and that has been the Netflix Hindi Originals, that has allowed for an expression not marred by incessant, and at times, irrelevant censorship, with every original, Netflix has pushed the boundaries of conventional Indian cinema and brought to the forefront intelligent storytelling and exceptional acting. Netflix India currently has three originals. Two movies—‘Love per Square Foot’ and the anthology ‘Lust Stories’, and a web series, ‘Sacred Games’. While ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ struggled to release and ran into controversies and debates, Netflix’s ‘Lust Stories’ set a benchmark by highlighting the Indian female sexual desires. Netflix further plans to introduce three new series, ranging from ‘the scary to the supernatural’ to showcase the wide diversity of Indian storytelling. Netflix’s acquired content includes movies that have been banned by CBFC, such as Q’s ‘Gandu’ and Raj Amit Kumar’s ‘Unfreedom’ which has never seen the light of the day.

Censorship of Internet

In recent times, the question of censorship of Internet in India has emerged on several occasions. Censorship in India is selectively practiced by both central and state governments. While there is no sustained government policy or strategy to block access to Internet content on a large scale, measures for removing content have become more common in recent years. Freedom House's Freedom on the Net 2015 report gives India a Freedom on the Net Status of "Partly Free" with a rating of 40 (scale from 0 to 100, lower is better). Its Obstacles to Access was rated 12 (0-25 scale), Limits on Content was rated 10 (0-35 scale) and Violations of User Rights was rated 18 (0-40 scale).

There are several instances when the government has decided to pull down content on the internet and one such instance is when BBC released ‘India’s Daughter’, a documentary film directed by Leslee Udwin, a part of the BBC's ongoing Storyville series. The film is based on the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder of 23-year-old Jyoti Singh who was a physiotherapy student. When excerpts of the film, which included an interview with Mukesh Singh, one of the four men convicted of the rape and murder, were broadcast, a court stay order prohibiting the broadcast was obtained by the Indian police. The BBC complied with the request and did not air the film in India. Yet it aired outside of India on 4 March 2015, was uploaded on YouTube, and soon went viral via shares on social media. On 5 March, the Indian government directed YouTube to block the video in India.

‘Sacred Games’ and the Question of Censorship

With the recent release of Netflix’s ‘Sacred Games’, the question of censorship and freedom of speech may have resurfaced.

The show has received a lot of flak from the right-wing organisations for its take on religion. West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee member Rajiv Sinha had filed the complaint over a scene in the series, in which the protagonist, played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, uses derogatory language while speaking about late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Suresh Shyamal Gupta, the president of Youth Indian National Trade Union Congress’ (INTUC) city wing and who is also the president of All Indian Cine Worker’s Association (AICWA) lodged a complaint against Netflix, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and the producers of ‘Sacred Games’ for insulting the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Gupta also mentioned in his complaint about how the show disregarded the decision of Parliament on Shah Bano Case. The show also referred to the Bofors Scandal and Emergency excesses in India. It took a tweet directly from Rahul Gandhi—President, Indian National Congress,“BJP/RSS believe the freedom of expression must be policed & controlled. I believe this freedom is a fundamental democratic right. My father lived and died in the service of India. The views of a character on a fictional web series can never change that. #SacredGames” to have Congress workers withdraw the complaints.

A plea has also been filed in the Delhi high court for removal of certain scenes from the show. The petition accuses the show of inaccurately representing historic events such as the Bofors case, Shah Bano case, Babri Masjid case and communal riots. Not only the members of the industry but also the audience of the digital platform await the court’s verdict on this issue as the question of censoring the content available on the digital platform still remains unanswered.

Everyone has a right to freedom of speech expression and choice but in modern times it has been seen more of as a threat to someone else choices and actions. With regards to this, every individual has to keep in mind that while he is able to enjoy his rights and freedom, his exercise of rights doesn’t threaten someone else’s rights and sentiments.

Bibliography:

1.      Twitter Handle of Rahul Gandhi, President of Indian National Congress.

2.      Netflix: Sacred Games.

3.      Netflix: Lust Stories.

4.      16 Indian Web series you really need to watch, Available at https://www.buzzfeed.com/andreborges/16-indian-web-series-you-really-really-need-to-watch-asap?utm_term=.wko2PB9Ba#.diwaR7j7o  

5.      BJP and Congress spar over references to Rajiv Gandhi in web series, Available at https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/bjp-congress-spar-over-references-to-rajiv-gandhi-in-web-series/articleshow/64954226.cms

6.      How are indie makers reacting to the complaints against Sacred Games, Available at https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/how-are-indie-makers-reacting-to-the-sacred-games-complaints/articleshow/64955974.cms

7.      Is Netflix going to be our savior from the tyrannical Censor board? Available at https://www.idiva.com/news-entertainment/is-netflix-going-to-be-our-saviour-from-the-tyrannical-censor-board/17077029

"The views expressed by the author are purely personal, and not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Political Science, Mithibai College."