Guruji will become as big as Gaitonde in Sacred Games season 2, says Pankaj Tripathi

One of the dark horses of the first season of Sacred Games, Netflix’s first Indian original series, was the character Guruji, played by Pankaj Tripathi. The character appeared in a cameo in a couple of the episodes, with the suggestion of a larger role in future seasons. Tripathi, who has a long history of working with co-director Anurag Kashyap, has said in a new interview that Guruji will become a central character in the show’s future.

Speaking to Mid-Day, the actor said, “Guruji is a larger-than-life part and will become the most sought-after character in the series. My character becomes as big as Gaitonde.”

In Sacred Games, Guruji is described by gangster Ganesh Gaitonde as his ‘third father’ - the man who influenced him more than anyone else, and potentially even betrayed him. Guruji is seen as the thread that binds the show’s two central characters - Gaitonde, played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Sartaj Singh, played by Saif Ali Khan. Sartaj’s mother is seen watching Guruji - a godman - on TV. And it was Guruji who perhaps orchestrated Gaitonde’s arrest and subsequently reached out to him in prison.

Speaking about his relationship with Nawaz, with whom he worked on the Gangs of Wasseypur films, Tripathi said, “Nawaz bhai and I lived in the same hostel at the NSD (National School Of Drama). We admire each other’s work. Since we come from the same acting background, our approach to work is similar. We have been taught by the same people. When we meet, we hardly talk work, we reminisce about the old times.”

Tripathi said that he had a wonderful experience working on the show, and has known directors Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap, and writer Varun Grover for years.

In an interview to Hindustan Times, Kashyap also promised that Guruji will become a central character in the future.Saif has said that there four seasons of eight episodes each that have been planned, and since the first season ended on such a cliffhanger, fans are hungry for any confirmation of more seasons.

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