‘The Hunt' director Nagesh Kukunoor: opens up on challenges of casting, OTT shift, and portraying Rajiv Gandhi case truthfully

Time of India

21 hours ago

Director
Nagesh Kukunoor
recently released a new web series called 'The Hunt: The
Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case
' on Sony LIV. In a new interview, he talked about his experience working on this true-crime story, how OTT platforms have shaped his journey in the last few years, and why he now wants to return to making films for theatres.
Nagesh
Kukunoor
talked about his new series
During an interview with Hindustan Times, director Nagesh Kukunoor recently opened up about his new web series titled 'The Hunt: The
Rajiv Gandhi Assassination
Case', streaming on Sony LIV. He shared insights on his journey as a filmmaker, his experience working in the OTT space, and also his future plans in cinema. The series is based on the real-life investigation of former Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi
's assassination and has drawn attention due to its sensitive and politically connected subject.
Nagesh Kukunoor's views on long format content
Kukunoor said that for the last six to seven years, he has been fully involved in creating long-form content for digital platforms. He worked on multiple projects for major OTT platforms. He explained that he enjoys the long format because it allows him to explore characters in detail, something that's difficult in a two-hour film. However, he also mentioned that the early excitement around OTT has started to settle down, though he still finds it creatively satisfying.
Despite being active in the digital space, Kukunoor expressed his interest in returning to theatrical films. He said it's time for him to 'wade back into films,' but he admitted that making films without star actors is very difficult in the current market. One of his biggest challenges is that he doesn't always choose big celebrities for his projects. Because of this, getting financial backing and distribution becomes hard.
He pointed out that in theatres, audiences and producers still expect to see a known face to attract attention and business.
Talking about his creative process, Kukunoor revealed that he always has stories in mind. However, he only commits to a project when the script really demands to be made and when there is a realistic budget to work with. He's not someone who just jumps on every idea. Instead, he waits for the right time and resources to develop it properly.
About the series
About 'The Hunt', Kukunoor stressed that even though it's based on a major political event, the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, it is not a political show. He clarified that the series is a true-crime thriller, based on facts and it focuses on the detailed investigation that led to solving the case. He also said that while some may link the topic to politics, his intent was never to create a political drama.
Kukunoor also pointed out that he prefers fictional political stories over real political figures.
He had earlier worked on a political show for three seasons, but it featured entirely fictional characters. In contrast, The Hunt deals with real people and real incidents, so it was very important for him to handle the content sensitively. He said that when dealing with actual people and many of whom are still alive, so one needs to be extra careful in portraying them with honesty and balance.
Lastly, he said that he tried to present both sides of the story with humanity, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) officers and even the LTTE operatives responsible for the attack and his goal was not to take sides but to show how events unfolded as truthfully as possible. He didn't want to sensationalize the case or draw modern political connections. Instead, he focused on creating a balanced and respectful portrayal of a tragic chapter in India's history.