From Page to Platform: Aesthetic and Narrative Transformations in Netflix’s Adaptation of Sacred Games

Abstract

This paper explores the adaptation of Vikram Chandra's novel Sacred Games into the globally distributed Netflix series, examining how the shift from print to digital streaming reconfigures the source material's narrative, aesthetic, and ideological dimensions. Grounded in contemporary adaptation theory, the study investigates how the novel's narrative complexity, character introspection, and philosophical meditations are transformed into visual metaphors, suspense-driven episodic pacing, and dramatised political allegory suited to binge-watching cultures. Rather than viewing the series as a mere replication of the literary text, the paper positions it as a platform-specific reinvention shaped by factors such as transmedia marketing and audience analytics. It further analyses how the adaptation amplifies religious and political themes to resonate with contemporary socio-political climates while omitting or simplifying specific philosophical and cultural nuances. Through a comparative and theoretical approach, the research highlights the influential role of streaming platforms in shaping modern adaptation strategies, illustrating how culturally rooted literary works are reimagined as globally accessible audiovisual narratives within a dynamic and evolving media ecosystem.