What to expect from 'Sacred Games' season two, which hits screens in August

'Gaitonde is back,' tweeted Nawazuddin Siddiqui, announcing the return of the popular show

Sacred Games
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The much-anticipated second season of India's most popular Netflix series Sacred Games will start streaming on August 15.

Announcing the update on Tuesday morning, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui took to Twitter to write: "Gaitonde [the name of his character] is back!!!"
Fans were already excited after Siddiqui tweeted on May 21: "something big is happening in 25 days", but then rumours suggested shooting had been delayed, and the June 14 hint ended up being a false alarm.

What can we expect from season two? Mild season one spoilers below

Actors involved with the show, Siddiqui and Pankaj Tripathi, have confirmed that season two will be more grand and has been shot extensively in Africa. Director Anurag Kashyap shot most of the first season in and around Mumbai.

While the first season of Sacred Games ended with Gaitonde escaping from the prison during the flashback storyline, the second edition will see him seeking refuge in Kenya and eventually becoming a crime lord.

The show follows two distinct storylines, one a few decades ago, showing Gaitonde as a crime lord, the other, in the present day, showing Saif Ali Khan's character trying to stop a catastrophe in Mumbai.

Siddiqui told the Mid-Day newspaper in April: "Even if people know Ganesh Gaitonde, they won't know what to expect from him. We shot extensively across Mombasa (Kenya), Cape Town and Johannesburg."

Pankaj Tripathi confirmed that we can expect big things: "As an actor, I can't talk in detail about the show. I've been asked not to. But yes, I can definitely say that the scale of the show is huge this time. The writing is fantastic and the show will be very interesting."

Sacred Games
Nawazuddin Siddiqui (centre) in season two, episode five. 

Tripathi had limited screen presence in season one, which ended with his character growing into a mastermind villain behind a terror plot, all while donning the garb of a spiritual guru. It seems clear from the trailer that we will see more of him in season two.

Saif Ali Khan remains the hero cop, and it's clear from the trailer he's still trying to keep Mumbai safe as it's under threat. And while Radhika Apte was part of the first season, her role ended with her death as an intelligence officer.

The second installment will see the addition of Ranvir Shorey, as well as Kalki Koechlin, who is seen in the trailer in a scene with Saif Ali Khan's cop character. Elnaaz Nourozi will reprise the part of Zoya Mirza, an actress with a shady past.

From the trailer, it looks like Kalki Koechlin plays someone living at a luxury spiritual retreat, and she's seen only in the signature saffron colour worn by Tripathi's character.

Sacred Games 2 is also expected to spend time in flashback mode, so some actors we don't expect to return may actually be seen again.

Sacred Games
Saif Ali Khan and Kalki Koelchin in season two, episode four of 'Sacred Games'. Photos: Netflix