6 days ago
Nagesh Kukunoor Says Communication Was Tough On Sets Of ‘The Hunt'
Indian actors Amit Sial and Sahil Vaid on a poster of Nagesh Kukunoor's 'The Hunt Rajiv Gandhi ... More Assassination Case'.
He has enamored the audience with his gripping tales on the digital platforms for years and Nagesh Kukunoor's latest outing is no less. The Hunt - The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case is his new Hindi web show streaming on SONY LIV. In an exclusive interview, Kukunoor recalls why he took up the project, the challenges he faced while working on it, and dwells on his politics in cinema and more.
Nagesh Kukunoor interview
Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and actor, Nagesh Kukunoor. (Photo by Chandradeep ... More Kumar/ The India Today Group via Getty Images)
The Hunt - The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case showcases the journey that followed the assassination of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991. The SONYLIV show is based on Anirudhya Mitra's book Ninety Days: The True Story of the Hunt for Rajiv Gandhi's Assassins.
Three decades have gone by since the assassination and the investigation that followed. Talking about the intrigue of the story, the filmmaker says, 'Honestly, what we knew about the investigation (from news reports) was just the broad strokes. Anirudhya Mitra's book gives us at least 20 jaw-dropping moments and that drew me in. Initially, I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it but Sameer Nair (CEO, Applause Entertainment - producers of The Hunt) told me the book 'reads like a thriller'. Once I read the book, I was hooked.'
Elaborating on the reason why he took it up, the filmmaker adds, 'The biggest challenge—and also the reason I said yes—was stepping into a genre I hadn't done before: true crime. Also, I hadn't adapted a book before. Writing it meant figuring out how to dramatize a true story I wasn't part of. You constantly balance between staying factual and being engaging. Plus, many SIT members are alive—you want to respect that.'
'I worked with Rohit Banerjee, my longtime collaborator, and we brought in Sriram Rajan from LA for another perspective. Once the team was set, we broke the story into episodes. Even though Anirudhya's book gave us a timeline, real investigations are messy—A leads to B1 through B24 before C happens. We had to structure it into a seamless narrative.'
Indian actor Amit Sial and filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor during a photo shoot. (Photo by Chandradeep ... More Kumar/ The India Today Group via Getty Images)
Kukunoor recalls that one of the most challenging parts of working on the show involved the language." Nothing was smooth — and that's what made it great. I directed 40% of the show in Tamil. Though I studied in Tamil Nadu, I haven't spoken the language in years. And much of it was in Sri Lankan Tamil. Many of the Tamil characters were played by Malayalees. Communication was tough, which is crucial for a director. We also shot in the sweltering heat and rain. But I enjoyed it—comfort zones bore me."
'It was the most challenging casting of my career. Casting Bay—Anmol, Akhil, and their team—did the heavy lifting. I shortlisted and auditioned actors. Amit Sial was brilliant. But when I moved to the Tamil segments, it was wild—Malayalee actors speaking Sri Lankan Tamil, directed by a Telugu guy who speaks Hindi and English. I had to explain scenes in English to one actor, Hindi to another, while they acted in Tamil. It was like the SIT itself—language barriers everywhere. That first scene took five hours to shoot.'
The show took 58 days to complete shoot. 'The first scene set the tone. We lost light, ran behind schedule, and had to recreate sets elsewhere. But we stayed true to the language where possible. Looking back, it's funny—but on set, it was terrifying.'
Asked about avoiding political commentary, Nagesh Kukunoor insists the show is not about politics. 'The show was never about that. What happened to Rajiv Gandhi was horrific, but the show focused on the investigation. I didn't want to justify or glorify anything. I simply stuck to the facts. Once I knew the objective, I focused on not pointing fingers or taking sides. My aim was to be as objective as possible—like a journalist. Even the LTTE scenes were handled with sensitivity. That's how I've always made films.'
Indian actors Gul Panag and Ayesh Takia in a still from Nagesh Kukunoor's 2006 Hindi film 'Dor'.
Kukunoor touched human emotions and raw personal sentiments in his earlier films such as Iqbal, Dhanak and Dor. Asked if he'd return to making films such as Dor and Dhanak, he says, 'I'd love to. I did Hyderabad Blues 2 long before sequels were a trend. I won't make a sequel unless I truly have more to say. But yes, I'm planning something uplifting, like Dhanak. It's been a decade so I'm ready.'
Kukunoor started with theatricals but has been working on the digital platform for a long time now. What are the differences in functioning of the two? Kukunoor believes there are many gatekeepers when it comes to theatrical films. 'You need to convince producers, distributors, theater chains."
He adds that when working on a theatrical film, one needs to keep a track of the runtime and even popcorn sales, but digital is simpler. "Digital is much simpler. You just need to convince one or two people and run with it. That's why I've been in this space for seven years. Making a film is easy. Releasing it? That's the real challenge.'
(This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.)
