Ganesh Gaitonde has stolen hearts and taken over the internet ever since Netflix India’s Sacred Games premiered last year. The subject of memes and conversations, his dialogues have managed to create a cult for the character. Played to perfection by stellar actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Gaitonde’s character takes a number of delightful turns in the latest season of the superhit show.
The team of writers and directors have managed to create a layered character that is full of complexity and contradiction. While Gaitonde of Season 1 was a typical gangster living a life of debauchery, sex and violence, Gaitonde of Season 2 is a more vulnerable character. The erstwhile king of Gopalmath finds himself in foreign waters when the season begins. Perhaps this is metaphorically significant too, Gaitonde undergoes an existential crisis when he is not in his own city.
From a narcissistic evil gangster, we see him as a vulnerable human being trying to find his footing in the world. It is this vulnerability that is exploited by Guruji who sees him as a tool to carry out his evil plans. Gaitonde at this point is easily malleable and can be maneuvered to further other agendas. Even the film he decides to make on his life is a desperate cry for attention. He fears irrelevance so much that he produces a Bollywood film which could be best described as B-grade.
The shine out moments come in the last couple of episodes, though. A drugged Gaitonde finally awakens to a stream of consciousness and realizes that he has been complicit in the attack which would wipe away the very city he held so dear to himself. If he had not had this moment of truth, it is safe to say that nothing could prevent the attack.
In a lot of ways, before Sartaj even had a chance to, Gaitonde had done his bit to save his city. Although he is still a formidable character doing things we don’t really agree with as a rational audience, we love the oscillation between hero and villain that his character takes us through this season.
Ganesh Gaitonde can be endearing and dangerous at the same time.
Image Source:- instagram/netflix_in/imagesdawn