BOTTOM LINE
Compelling Investigation Drama
PLATFORM
SONY LIV
RUNTIME
6 Hrs( 7 Episodes)
What Is the Show About?
After Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in Tamil Nadu, a Special Investigation Team, headed by Kaarthikeyan, discovers vital clues. Despite a leaked press photo compromising the case, key operatives are identified, and the team learns of a foiled second assassination bid. The high-stakes confrontation culminates with Sivarasan, who led the group of assassins, being traced to Bangalore.
Performances
Amit Sial delivers a commanding performance as the face of the show, portraying Kaarthikeyan, the officer leading the SIT investigation. Despite the precise, firm nature of his character, he brings an innate appeal to his portrayal through his dialogue modulation and body language. Sahil Vaid and Bagavathi Perumal are also afforded ample scope to shine, and their on-screen camaraderie is particularly delightful.
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Vidyuth Gargi’s firm, stately screen presence works in his favour; the likes of Danish Iqbal, Girish Sharma, and Saurabh Dubey do the needful with their assured acts. The host of actors on the other end of the spectrum, essaying the LTTE operatives, namely Shafeeq Mustafa, Shruty Jayan, Gouri Padmakumar, Nishan Nanaiah, Anjana Balaji, and others, make their presence felt too.
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Analysis
The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case, Sony LIV’s much-anticipated show, helmed by Nagesh Kukunoor, is a meticulously researched, no-frills police procedural drama. It vividly brings to light the toil of the men in uniform, as they race against time in their pursuit of the assassins behind the former PM’s killing in Sri Perumbudur, as part of a 90-day high-profile investigation.
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The show is clear about its stance: the focus is firmly on the minutiae of the investigation that leads the officers to the killers. This includes the team’s coordination, how they outsmart LTTE operatives in India, the costly missteps during execution, and bureaucratic bottlenecks. There’s little effort to document the other side of the story; it prefers to be a black-and-white tale.
The SIT brings together the country’s best officers, so there’s minimal scope to explore any grey areas within the line of their work. Even if there are differences, they’re to remain strictly professional about it. Given the sensational nature of the investigation, there are occasional attempts by over-enthusiastic colleagues to grab the lion’s share of the credit, though the show is not about them.
The tale kicks off through the camera of a dead photographer with suspicious credentials, helping the team unpack crucial details around the case, maintain a low profile, and increase surveillance on a growing list of suspects till they catch them. Several aspects surrounding the assassination come to the fore through the street-smart strategies of the officers, who utilise a strong ground-level network.
Though there are rare instances of situational humour, the narrative is busy exploring the LTTE’s strategies to stabilise their presence in the country, merge with the locals from various walks of life, and await their turn to execute their aims. Interestingly, both the SIT officers and the assassins, barring their moralities, are bound together by their unwavering focus; they’re firm-footed.
Nagesh Kukunoor dramatises the event enough to bring edginess to the execution; the improvisations make it juicier. The details are smartly woven into the conversations, without compromising on the tension in the storytelling, providing a sense of the physical and psychological turmoil that the SIT officers may have experienced for over three months.
While there’s definite clarity in the proceedings — both the smaller details and the larger picture — the fact that it deals with a wide range of characters with unique links and backstories begins to take a toll on the viewer after a point. Perhaps, the creators could’ve found a way to maintain the complexity in the setup while also making it equally accessible to its target audience.
Borrowing a leaf out of OTT originals like The Poachers, The Wonder Women, the creators adopt a multi-lingual approach – using a smatter of Tamil (Indian and Sri Lankan), Kannada, Hindi, and English to capture the day-to-day activity of the operation. The narrative is largely linear, except for instances where the assassins provide specific details leading to the assassination on the fateful night.
Additionally, the politics between India and Sri Lanka, and their link to Rajiv Gandhi’s death, are kept to a bare minimum. The show’s choice not to be an all-encompassing reference point to the assassination is both its strength and its weakness. While one might feel more drama could have been squeezed into the narrative, it’s possible that this would have come at the cost of its focused approach.
The Hunt is a well-researched, riveting peek into the search for the LTTE operatives responsible for Rajiv Gandhi’s killing. It strictly concerns itself with the investigation, packing in a gamut of details from various dimensions leading to the event. Despite its six-hour length, the screenplay is mostly sharp, although you may be overwhelmed by its specifics on a few occasions.
Music and Other Departments?
Composer Tapas Relia skilfully holds the show together through a taut score, which gives viewers space to breathe and equally respects silence. Cinematographer Sangram Giri and the production designer avoid several clichés plaguing period shows, allowing the focus to remain on the storytelling through slick visuals without making it a piece of antiquity screaming for attention.
The dialogue, switching from one language to another, is seamless and neat, displaying the team’s thorough homework. On a writing level, most creative choices work, though the narrative’s detailing could have been less overwhelming and more accessible to the viewer. Farooq Handekar, the editor, ensures a sleek finish to the final product, which is riveting without being dry.
Highlights?
Focused storytelling
Attention to detail
Superb performances
Drawbacks?
Detailing overwhelms the viewer
Absence of human drama
Did I Enjoy It?
Mostly, yes
Will You Recommend It?
Certainly
The Hunt – The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case Series Review by M9
