Web Series Name: The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case
Rating: 3.25/5
Cast: Amit Sial, Sahil Vaid, Bhagavathi Perumal, Girish Sharma, Danish Iqbal, Vidyut Garg and others
Director: Nages Kukunoor
Streaming on: Sony Liv
Director Nagesh Kukunoor’s investigative-drama ‘The Hunt’, featuring Amit Sial, is streaming on Sony Liv and it produced good hype due to its stoyrline. Let us see how far the film lives up to the expectaitons.
Story:
On May 21, 1991, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a suicide bomber from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during an election rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. This shocking event left the nation in disbelief, and the search for the assassins turned into one of the most followed investigations in Indian history.
The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case, currently available on Sony LIV, explores this investigation in a seven-episode series.
Analysis:
Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, it is inspired by journalist Anirudhya Mitra’s book Ninety Days. The story starts at the explosion site, where investigators find a Chinon camera among the debris. The film inside becomes the first major clue, triggering the investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Dr. Karthikeyan.
The series highlights the back-and-forth of the case, alternating between the investigators and the assassins as both sides head towards an unavoidable confrontation.
Amit Sial portrays Karthikeyan, the leader of the SIT, maintaining steady control. His team consists of Sahil Vaid as Amit Verma, Bagavathi Perumal as Ragothaman, Danish Iqbal as Amod Kanth, Girish Sharma as Radhavinod Raju, and Vidyuth Garg as Captain Ravindran.
The show depicts their thorough process of tracking suspects, assembling scattered clues, and facing internal obstacles. The officers communicate in calm, practical tones, and their discussions reflect the everyday frustrations of the investigation—missed leads, political interference, and ongoing pressure to achieve results.
The other side of the story centers on Sivarasan, the LTTE operative responsible for the assassination. Portrayed by Shafeeq Mustafa, Sivarasan appears focused and organized, concealing his involvement in the plot beneath a calm exterior.
This web series depicts him and his team—including Nalini, Subha, and the suicide bomber Dhanu—as they blend into their surroundings, traveling through Tamil Nadu and Karnataka while speaking Tamil with Lankan accents. The Hunt follows an honest approach in showing the proceedings.
Rather than taking a dramatic approach, the narration emphasizes the importance of minor details in such a significant case.
It effectively portrays the discussions and decisions of the special team, the pressures they encounter from higher officials, and the miscommunication with local police.
Particularly notable is the final episode, where the SIT team and NSG Commandos prepare to confront the criminals but are halted by higher officials citing trivial reasons, which heightens the intrigue and frustration from the story’s perspective.
Nevertheless, Nagesh Kukunoor and his team could have explored the political aspects of the incident more deeply, and the failures of intelligence or systems are not adequately addressed.
Also, because the story point revolves around one incident, a few parts become dull because of the unevenness around the situations.
The Hunt – The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case Review and Verdict:
The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case is a well-made investigation drama that works with superb performances and honest storytelling. It fails to capitalize on a few important points but ends on a strong note.
