Sacred Games Season 2 Adds Kalki Koechlin, Ranvir Shorey in ‘Pivotal Roles’

Kalki Koechlin (Margarita with a Straw) and Ranvir Shorey (Khosla Ka Ghosla!) have been cast in ‘pivotal roles' for Sacred Games season 2, Netflix announced Monday with a first look of both in photos and video. Koechlin will play a character called Batya, while Shorey will portray someone called Shahid Khan. While Batya seems to be an original creation, there is a Shahid Khan in the book on which the show is based. Khan is an intelligence officer in disguise at the Pakistan embassy in London, who has ties to an extremist Islamist outfit. Koechlin and Shorey join Sacred Games' existing cast members Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Pankaj Tripathi.

“Personally, I am a fan of the series, and it is super awesome to be a part of the Sacred Games and Netflix family,” Koechlin said in a statement. “Season 2 promises to be much more exciting and I cannot wait for viewers to watch me in the series.”

“The digital platform is so empowering and working on this audience-favourite show has been an absolute delight,” Shorey added. “My character in Sacred Games 2, Shahid Khan, is a complete departure from any of the roles I've played before, and I'm looking forward to fans across the world bingeing on the new season.''

Netflix also provided a proper look at Tripathi's character Guruji (below), who serves as Ganesh Gaitonde's so-called ‘third father' in Sacred Games season 2. Guruji will play “a pivotal role in unfolding a chain of events that shape the season”, Netflix said, as Gaitonde faces “bigger challenges to retain his position as the legendary kingpin of Mumbai.” Meanwhile, in present time, Sartaj Singh (Khan) continues “his pursuit and relentless quest to save the city.”

Koechlin is known for starring in films such as Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and Dev.D. She was last seen in the Amazon Prime Video series Made in Heaven. In addition to Khosla Ka Ghosla!, the character actor Shorey has starred in the likes of Bheja Fry, Ek Tha Tiger, and Manto. His most recent role was as the lead of the Eros Now series Metro Park.

Anurag Kashyap and Neeraj Ghaywan (Masaan) are the directors on Sacred Games season 2, handling the Gaitonde and Singh narrative separately, as was the case for Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane on season 1. Motwane continues in the role of showrunner, meanwhile, with Varun Grover as lead writer on the Netflix series, which is based on Vikram Chandra's 2006 book of the same name.

Sacred Games season 2 is slated to release in 2019 on Netflix worldwide.

Pankaj Tripathi as Guruji in Sacred Games season 2, episode 3
Photo Credit: Zishaan A. Latif/Netflix

Kalki Koechlin as Batya in Sacred Games season 2, episode 6
Photo Credit: Ishika Mohan Motwane/Netflix

Ranvir Shorey as Shahid Khan in Sacred Games season 2, episode 8
Photo Credit: Ishika Mohan Motwane/Netflix