In India, you could be killed for dating someone from another caste: Saif Ali Khan

Actor has himself been trolled for marrying Kareena Kapoor - a Hindu

Netflix India's latest venture Sacred Games, starring Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte, is an honest representation of political dynamics in India, or so the critics say.

While the show has been receiving praises for its content from foreign media, it has also found itself gripped in some controversies back home. Case in point: the derogatory remarks towards Rajiv Gandhi made in the show.



About this, Saif - the protagonist of Sacred Games - remarked how some might even get killed for disagreeing with the government.

"I don’t know how much you can criticise your government in India, somebody might kill you," he told The Quint.

The Dil Chahta Hai star went on to add that in some parts of India, a person can be killed if they choose to date someone from a different caste. He, himself, has been trolled for marrying Kareena Kapoor - a Hindu.

PHOTO: NETFLIX

"If you date someone from the wrong caste, somebody will kill you in some parts of India. That’s just the way it is," said Saif. "We are at the edge but we try and make interesting things. It’s frustrating when somebody tries to pull it down. Let’s hope justice and some better sense prevails here."

So how does the Cocktail actor feel about the ongoing controversy, which might threaten the viewership of his show. "It will be deeply frustrating if something happens to Sacred Games. If someone says you can’t air this or if Netflix is discontinued, then that will be my turn to be outraged," the 47-year-old actor replied. "There’s no genuine cause for outrage. We wouldn’t genuinely want to upset anyone. It’s not the style of Netflix. Anurag Kashyap and Vikram Bhatt have not been ridiculous in their violence, their approach to sex or their subject matter. We have not taken advantage of the fact that there’s no censorship."

PHOTO: NETFLIX

A case on the show was filed last week for using derogratory remarks on Gandhi. About this, Saif maintained that the lawyers will handle the situation as required.

"We have to understand people are trying to gain political mileage, watching like hawks whether any moment can be exploited. There are good judges and lawyers in place who can handle all this. Let’s set the precedent and get on with it. I’m sure the legal team will handle this properly," commented the actor.

Saif also added that the controversies would mean that the audience has a certain effect on them. If there'd be no controversies, that means that their project isn't as afflicting as the makers would like it to be.

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"To stay within the guidelines of not offending anyone would mean that we would make really dull stuff, you know. It’s really limiting, it’s frightening," he said.

"Our intention was never to sensationalise anything," the actor continued. "We didn’t need to because of the great quality of the writing. It’s just the sign of the times. The world is ostensibly a global village. There are different attitudes around every corner. It’s a very free society," he added.

PHOTO: NETFLIX

Previously, an Indian politician has taken streaming giant Netflix to court, asking that it delete “offensive scenes” and derogatory remarks about India's former prime minister in its first Indian original series.

The Delhi High Court adjourned the case on Thursday, to give judges and respondents time to study the petition filed by Nikhil Bhalla, a lawyer and a member of the opposition Congress party, which Rajiv led for seven years until his assassination in 1991.



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