Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has publicly criticised Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos following remarks Sarandos made about the streaming platform’s early approach to the Indian market.

In a recent episode of Nikhil Kamath’s People by WTF podcast, Sarandos reflected on Netflix’s entry into India, specifically mentioning the 2018 series Sacred Games, which Kashyap co-directed. While discussing the platform’s content strategy, Sarandos expressed surprise at the challenges of introducing a new style of entertainment in a country as large and diverse as India.

“I thought this is going to be great. People in India love movies. This is a TV show that feels as big as a movie. It has movie stars,” Sarandos said. “But I didn’t realize we were introducing a brand-new kind of entertainment to a country the size of India, because there was nothing else like it.”

He went on to suggest that, in hindsight, Netflix might have launched with more mainstream programming. “Maybe if I did it all over again, I would have done Sacred Games a couple of years later and started with something more popular,” he added.

Kashyap, known for his candid opinions, did not take the comments lightly. Taking to social media, he responded sharply:

“He should have started with Saas-Bahu shows… he would have done well. Which is what he’s doing now.”
He further added:
“I always knew tech guys are dumb when it comes to storytelling. But Ted Sarandos is the definition of dumb—didn’t know that until now. This explains everything.”

Kashyap’s reaction highlights a long-standing tension between creators and streaming executives over creative direction and audience expectations, particularly in emerging markets like India.