#MeToo effect: Fate of 'Sacred Games' Season 2 uncertain
What's the story
The second season of 'Sacred Games', the Indian Netflix original which garnered widespread applaud, is in jeopardy in the wake of #MeToo movement which led to the dissolution of Phantom Films. According to Scroll, the streaming giant is 'evaluating options on the path forward' for the second season. Allegations on Vikas Bahl, the co-founder of Phantom, had widespread (and well deserved) repercussions.
What happened
Phantom Films, run by four men, was accused of complicity
On October 6, Anurag Kashyap announced Phantom was a dream but had to end, and soon Vikramaditya Motwane put out a tweet announcing the decision, while being elusive. Subsequently, a report by HuffPost India highlighted the survivor's side who was harassed by Bahl in 2015. The production house was accused of being complicit. Apart from the aforementioned names, Madhu Mantena was a founder too.
Stance
In series of tweets, Kashyap defended his silence
Just as he received ire for not acting on the victim's complaint, Kashyap mentioned being stuck in 'legalities'. He said he was the one who told Mumbai Mirror the incident as an anonymous source and discussed what could be done with his legal team; which as it turns out wasn't enough. Meanwhile, Bahl sent him and Motwane legal notices for maligning his name.
What's next
'Sacred Games' was widely appreciated and is now at risk
Notably, Kashyap and Motwane were the directors of 'Sacred Games', which was based on Vikram Chandra's novel by the same name. The series starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, Saif Ali Khan, and Pankaj Tripathi, got rave reviews, and Netflix announced on September 21 that it would return for a second season. The climax of the first season left much room for a new story.
Information
Varun Grover, writer of 'Sacred Games', was accused too
Notably, writer-comedian Varun Grover, who wrote the screenplay for 'Sacred Games', was also accused of sexual harassment. An anonymous account said he violated her during his days in BHU, a charge Grover vehemently denied. Interestingly, Kashyap and 'Masaan' director Neeraj Ghaywan supported Grover.
Twitter Post
Varun Grover's detailed response on allegations
Here's my detailed statement about the completely fabricated, misleading, and defamatory allegations against me. Am absolutely willing to cooperate and clear my name. Let's not allow such agenda-driven tactics to derail this movement please. pic.twitter.com/VTFeIjygcl
— वरुण (@varungrover) October 9, 2018
Looking back
Netflix going the 'House of Cards' way with 'Sacred Games'?
Notably, after #MeToo movement hit Hollywood last year and Kevin Spacey was accused of sexual harassment, Netflix removed him from popular show 'House of Cards'. The series is returning for a sixth season with Robin Wright in the lead. Will the company do the same for 'Sacred Games' is a question only time can answer.