Amit Sial On Playing SIT Chief In The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Series: ‘It Is Enriching'
Amit Sial plays the role of D.R. Kaarthikeyan, SIT chief in The Hunt – The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case.
It has been over three decades since a blast in Sriperumbudur claimed the life of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. In the follow-up events, the hunt for the killer took over frenzied columns in the newspapers as the Special Investigation Team started examining the evidence gathered from the site. At that time, the investigators got their first lead about the plot hatched by LTTE militants, supporting further in the probe. Based on Anirudhya Mitra's book 90 Days, award-winning filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor has dug deep into the political archive, delivering The Hunt – The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case.
The seven-episode thriller series traces the investigation that unfolded after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. It will also focus on how the SIT team races against time to uncover the conspiracy and track down the lead mastermind.
Amit Sial On Portraying SIT Chief
Actor Amit Sial, who is seen in the lead role of CBI officer DR Kaarthikeyan (SIT Chief), recently opened up about his experience of portraying the character. Speaking to the Mathrubhumi English, Sial disclosed how he prepared for the character and said, 'I didn't have too much time on hand from the time I was offered the series to the time it was going on the floors to search for the investigation a lot but I did my research and looked up Dr Kaarthikeyan's life a lot I write and watched a lot of about him through interviews online what I gather doubt that that is the man who has been given this humongous task."
Describing his experience as very unusual and exhilarating, Sial said the character brought him a lot of responsibilities and also restricted him at the same time, saying, 'I can't do my thing; I'm playing somebody else."
Amit Sial also spoke about his own perspective on the assassination case as he took on the role of SIT chief. 'I was relatively aware of the case as it happened when I was 16 years old. In the following years, I kept reading about it here and there. There were a lot of talks about the care and the one behind the crime. To be able to extract the truth from the kind of darkness, the investigation was very labour-intensive."
Besides Sial, other actors in key roles are Sahil Vaid, Vidyut Garg and Shafeeq Mustafa. The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case is currently streaming on SonyLIV.
First Published:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Only time he sat still for a painting: How Mahatma Gandhi's only oil portrait fetched Rs 1.6 crore
A rare oil portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, believed to be the only one he ever sat for, has fetched 1.63 crore (approx £1,52,800 or $204,648) at a Bonhams auction in London, more than double its pre-sale estimate. The painting, by renowned British artist Clare Leighton, was created in 1931, during Gandhi's visit to London for the Second Round Table Conference, which sought to discuss India's constitutional future under British rule. Bonhams had originally valued the artwork between 53 lakh and 74 lakh (between £50,000 and £70,000), but it ended up as the top lot in the auction house's Travel and Exploration sale. 'Thought to be the only oil painting of Mahatma Gandhi, which he sat for, this was a very special work,' said Rhyanon Demery, Bonhams' Head of Sale. 'It is no wonder that this work sparked such interest across the globe.' Clare Leighton, best known for her wood engravings, was reportedly one of the few artists granted permission to paint Gandhi from life. Bonhams says she was introduced to Gandhi through her then-partner Henry Noel Brailsford, a left-wing journalist and vocal supporter of Indian independence. Leighton spent several mornings sketching Gandhi at his London quarters, capturing him in his iconic seated pose — wrapped in his shawl, bare-headed, one finger raised mid-conversation. The resulting portrait was exhibited in November 1931 at the Albany Galleries in London. While Gandhi did not attend, the show drew dignitaries, Members of Parliament, and key figures from the Indian delegation, including Sarojini Naidu and Sir Purshotamdas Thakurdas. Writer Winifred Holtby, who attended the exhibition, described the portrait in vivid terms: 'The little man squats bare-headed, in his blanket, one finger raised… his lips parted for a word that is almost a smile. That is very much as I saw him when he came as guest to a big luncheon in Westminster.' In a letter written shortly after the exhibit, Gandhi's secretary Mahadev Desai wrote to Leighton: 'It was such a pleasure to have had you here for many mornings doing Mr Gandhi's portrait… many of my friends who saw it in the Albany Gallery said it was a good likeness.' The painting remained with Leighton until her death in the US in 1989, after which it was passed down through her family. According to them, the portrait was attacked with a knife in 1974 while on public display and was later restored by the Lyman Allyn Museum Conservation Laboratory. The portrait was not publicly exhibited again until a Boston Public Library showcase of Leighton's work in 1978. Bonhams has not disclosed the identity of the buyer or whether the painting will be made accessible to the public in the future. (With inputs from PTI)
India.com
21 minutes ago
- India.com
Meet actor who made a comeback at 65, gave back-to-back blockbusters, is more popular in Pakistan than India, his name is...
They've broken bones on screen, stirred patriotism in cinemas, and made us chant 'Dhai kilo ka haath'. But once upon a time, they were just two adorable kids in a blurry photo — one of them pouty in a knicker. Who are these two in the viral throwback? At first glance, the grainy black-and-white photo may seem like just another childhood memory. But look again — sitting in the lap of an elder is little Bobby Deol, face scrunched up and wearing nothing but a knicker. Next to him, resting a hand on the shoulder, is his older brother Sunny Deol. Two of Bollywood's most iconic Punjabi heroes were captured before their stardom. What's with the Pakistan connection? The elder boy in the photo, Sunny Deol, later became the face of raw, chest-thumping patriotism in Bollywood. He starred in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, where his character famously hoisted the Indian flag in Pakistan. The film, ironically, gained cult status across the border, too. Where are they now? Sunny Deol recently made a power-packed comeback with Gadar 2, and while the box office performance of his last release, Jaat, was modest, his action-hero image remains intact. Up next, he's ready to star in Border 2 alongside Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh, a film fans are eagerly awaiting. Why is this photo special? It reminds us that even the fiercest screen warriors once had their vulnerable, innocent moments, captured not in cinemascope but in monochrome. From Bobby's teary eyes to Sunny's steady presence, this photo is a nostalgic capsule of two stars before they rose.
India.com
21 minutes ago
- India.com
From Ajay Jadeja, Azharuddin To Sreesanth: Indian Cricketers Accused Of Selling Their Teams For Money
photoDetails english 2932839 Updated:Jul 16, 2025, 09:28 PM IST ndian Cricket's Dark Chapter: Accusations of Corruption 1 / 10 The world of cricket, often revered for its integrity and sportsmanship, has unfortunately seen its share of controversies. Over the years, several Indian cricketers have faced serious accusations of involvement in match-fixing and spot-fixing, shaking the very foundations of the sport. Let's Look at some of the prominent names who have been embroiled in such allegations. Ajay Jadeja 2 / 10 Ajay Jadeja, a stylish middle-order batsman and agile fielder, was a popular figure in Indian cricket. His career was marred by the 2000 match-fixing scandal, leading to a five-year ban from all forms of cricket. While his ban was later overturned by the Delhi High Court in 2003, making him eligible to play again, he never returned to international cricket. Manoj Prabhakar 3 / 10 Manoj Prabhakar, a talented all-rounder known for his swing bowling and aggressive batting, was also implicated in the 2000 match-fixing scandal. He famously conducted a sting operation that exposed some of the alleged dealings, but was himself found guilty of involvement. The BCCI subsequently banned him for five years. Mohammad Azharuddin 4 / 10 Mohammad Azharuddin, a former Indian captain and one of the most elegant batsmen of his era, became the central figure in the 2000 match-fixing scandal. He was handed a life ban by the BCCI for his alleged role in fixing matches. However, the Andhra Pradesh High Court overturned his life ban in 2012, citing it as "unsustainable." Sreesanth 5 / 10 Sreesanth, a fiery fast bowler known for his passionate on-field demeanor, was arrested in 2013 on charges of spot-fixing during the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was playing for Rajasthan Royals at the time and was subsequently banned for life by the BCCI. The Supreme Court later set aside his life ban in 2019, and his ban was reduced to seven years, ending in 2020. Mohnish Mishra 6 / 10 Mohnish Mishra, a domestic cricketer who played for Pune Warriors India in the IPL, was caught in a 2012 sting operation by a Hindi news channel. He was accused of accepting money for spot-fixing and for receiving undeclared payments from his franchise. Following the investigation, he was handed a one-year ban by the BCCI. Ankeet Chavan 7 / 10 Ankeet Chavan, a left-arm orthodox spinner for Rajasthan Royals, was arrested along with Sreesanth and Ajit Chandila in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal. He was accused of agreeing to concede a certain number of runs in an over for money. The BCCI imposed a life ban on him, which was later lifted in 2021 by the BCCI, allowing him to return to cricket. Siddharth Trivedi 8 / 10 Siddharth Trivedi, another player from the Rajasthan Royals squad in 2013, became a prosecution witness in the IPL spot-fixing case. While his direct involvement in criminal activities like spot-fixing was ruled out, he was found to have failed to report approaches from bookies. He was subsequently given a one-year ban by the BCCI. Ajit Chandila 9 / 10 Ajit Chandila, an off-spinner who also played for Rajasthan Royals, was arrested in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal alongside Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan. He was accused of taking money from bookies to manipulate parts of IPL matches. The BCCI initially imposed a life ban on him, which was later reduced to seven years in 2023. Accused Not Guilty 10 / 10 It is important to note that the individuals mentioned in this gallery were accused of involvement in various forms of corruption in cricket. While some faced bans from the sport, the legal outcomes and the duration of their bans varied, with some bans being overturned or reduced by courts or cricketing bodies over time. give me 90 top seo keywords that will rank this article and bring views linear form add commas
