Nagesh Kukunoor on SIT and LTTE in The Hunt: Ensured I humanised both sides

Hindustan Times

15 hours ago

Adding a high-profile political thriller to Sony LIV's (OTTplay Premium) lineup is the release of The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case on July 4, 2025. The 90-day investigation that followed the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 is dramatised in the limited series, which is produced by Applause Entertainment and Kukunoor Movies. Nagesh Kukunoor and a still from The Hunt
Stream Nagesh Kukunoor's acclaimed films like Iqbal, Dor, 8 x 10 Tasveer, and Mod now on OTTplay Premium for a dose of heartfelt storytelling and unique narratives.
Ninety Days is the first-person account of the manhunt written by investigative journalist Anairudhya Mitra, from which the show is adapted. In one story, SIT commander D.R. Kaarthikeyan is played by Amit Sial, while the other characters include investigators Sahil Vaid, Bagavathi Perumal, Danish Iqbal, and Girish Sharma. A parallel tale follows LTTE operators on the run. Nagesh Kukunoor's approach
Before the release, writer-director Nagesh Kukunoor told us that he began by trying to put aside any preconceived ideas about the characters. The filmmaker explained, 'My approach was simple, and it's something that I've used all my life, which is, no matter which character I write, fictional or, in this case, clearly someone who existed and/or who is living right now, I always humanise them. It's as simple as that; that's the only approach I have.'
He further shared that he treats every aspect of the narrative with the utmost fairness. He stated, "So when I come at it, it's with as objective a view as I can from an outsider's point of view… I just made sure that I humanised both sides and presented it as it was."
Kukunoor describes the real‑world investigation—still the largest manhunt in Indian history—as a sequence of 'layers and ups and downs' that needed no extra embellishment. No commentary on contemporary politics
Questions of public trauma and intelligence lapses are also touched on in the show. But Kukunoor held back from making connections to modern politics. The filmmaker revealed, 'No, I chose to completely stay away from that… anything that one tries to make a larger commentary on is open to controversy and sensationalising in today's times. So I was very clear that I would stick to the Ninety Days, the way they played out, and leave it at that.'
He pointed out that viewers sought out real-life analogies even in his earlier fictional works, like City of Dreams. Thus, Kukunoor shared, 'When it came to real material, we made sure that we stuck to only the facts and not any kind of things that really do echo the current times… It was just sticking to the events the way they unfolded.'
The Hunt intends to offer a condensed, fact-based reconstruction instead of offering commentary, thanks to its simultaneous emphasis on the Special Investigation Team's meticulous procedural work and the fugitives' flight. Sony LIV will drop all episodes beginning July 4, 2025.