The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case
Introduction
The skeletal outline of the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case and the IC 814 hijack have eerie parallels to contend with. Both these cases play revolve around central incidents that can best be termed as black chapters from the political history of the country while playing out as reverse Shakespearean tragedies. There is almost a parallel that you can draw with the security issues as showcased in each of the two series in the lead up to the central incident of the respective shows. And ironically, even the ending is laced with a hint of a bureaucratic failure on the parts of the authorities, one that negotiated in barter for the passengers, and the other that delayed the charge. In a scene in the new Hindi show The Hunt, when Amit (a brilliant Sahil Vaid) communicates his angst to his senior Kaarthikeyan (a superb Amit Sial), the conversation circles around the fact on whether the team was indeed victorious with the result after the turn of events in the aftermath of the assassination of our Ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi. The focus remains on the insipid leadup to the final showdown that is severely delayed by processes that are installed at the last minute. And so, the crux of the show also remains on the commentary on the red tape culture and bureaucracy that engulfs the events around one of the darkest chapters in the political landscape of India.
Story & Screenplay
Based on the novel 90 Days by Anirudhya Mitra, the cold open in The Hunt has a sense of tension simmering around it. On a warm evening on 21st May 1991, the stage is set for a political rally of our Ex-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, even as there is considerable buildup around his arrival and presence. We all are familiar of the incident (atleast the 70s and the 80s kids would be familiar), and so there is a considerable amount of anticipation on the part of the viewers given the gruesome outcome in store. But the writers don’t wish to sensationalize the incident whilst opting to only cut to a black screen during the actual blast, even as you witness the awakening of the system to the incident. And as remains the case always (and rightfully so), an investigative team is setup which is lead by Kaarthikeyan, even as a parallel investigation involving a forensic expert kick starts the investigation.
The drama here is razor focused on documenting the accounts of the investigation, whilst not really interested in deviating towards the personal lives of the officers involved. This basically means that the case in itself is designed to be convoluted, creating a meta-commentary on the whereabouts of the SIT while investing the game. In a scene, a character exclaims on how the case is similar to finding a hairpin in a haystack, a myth that is soon crumbled when an accidental unraveling of a clue puts the investigation back on track. There is a significant amount of information dump on offer even as different names start floating by, hence the drama requires your utter focus to understand the nuances of the case.
Each episode mildly traces the events leading up to the assassination, a trait that allows geo-political flavour to creep into the narrative. This includes the bureaucratic relationship that Indian officials share with their Sri Lankan counterparts to begin with, whilst also revolving the kingpin of the attacks that traces the story of the LTTE operatives lead by Prabhakaran. The core conflict remains simple – an imminent suicidal attack on Rajiv Gandhi who volunteered to ‘resolve’ the Sri Lankan crisis (remember our Indian troops were also sent to Sri Lanka to fight to Lankan tigers). The demand is simple too – an independent nation for Sri-Lankan Tamils, given the identity crisis dealt by the people of the northern region of Sri Lanka. And therein lies a parallel plot-point involving the whereabouts of the LTTE mastermind Sivarasan (Shafeeq Mustafa), the one-eyed assassin who remains an intimidating figure who needs to be nabbed (along with the whole nexus).
The subsequent cat and mouse game that ensues is stimulating but never broad-stroked, even as the investigation itself is dissected into smaller skirmishes and wins. The entire case resembles a game of chess, with each move proving to be strategic in nabbing the members of the nexus including a pregnant operative Nalini (Anjana Balaji) and her husband (Sai Dinesh Badram) who have been on the run. The underlying tone of a supposed tension building up in the wake of another potential attack – one on the political figure and the other on the investigating team themselves, adds texture that often keeps you on your toes.
The dynamics of the team members is also shown to be evolving. There is a simmering frustration on the part of Amit and his senior Amod (Danish Iqbal), who are shown to be visibly irritated with the missed opportunities and chances that aren’t converted. It resembled a penalty corner shootout in a hockey match which if scored would turn the tide, but eventually missed to give the other team an advantage. This remained true even with the inclusion of the Bangalore police personnel who were showcased to discreetly aspire for a giant share of the credit, as opposed to aiding and nabbing the culprits. It remained a cat and mouse game within a cat and mouse game that resulted in structured chaos along with a loss of grip on the investigation.
The commentary around the red tape culture of bureacracy is imminently evident during the final showdown that is nothing short of disaster for the team. The layers of wait and frustration can be felt through the body language of most characters, even as it significantly highlights the failure of closing in on a significant landmark, particularly when that was visible from a distance. There is a parallel hint of a top-level conspiracy that doesn’t take shape, given the inexplicable decisions made by a few characters. It remained a subtly hard-hitting passage of play that is smeared with tension and frustration, something that translates poignantly for the viewers. And that accurately sums up the screeplay that is a winner through and through, almost coaxing the viewers to be a silent by-stander in the investigation while doubling up as a commentary on the system that is designed to go by the books. It is dense and requires focus but if you are willing to sink your teeth in it, the results are flavourful and imminently poignant!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational but I was impressed at the subdued tone that was maintained throughout the narrative. It is sombre with tension simmering beneath the surface (given the timeline of 90 days), and the same is reflected through the lines. Additionally, the creative decision to stage the lines in local language (read : Tamil) absolutely hits home beautifully while adding authenticity to the drama. The BGM is subtle while never overpowering the investigation that takes place. Care has been taken to ensure that the proceedings don’t turn into a superhero cop universe, while maintaining the grounded nature of the drama through its beats.
The cinematography is wonderful while prompting the viewers to be silent observers during the investigation that ensues. There is an emotional connect that you form with characters with different perspectives (even as a character exclaims on how one man’s terrorist is another man’s hero), something that is handled well through the frames. The editing ensures that the drama simmers in the moment without any sudden cuts that deviate or take you away from the drama. Director Nagesh Kukunoor does an immaculate job in opting for an understated approach to the narrative. As a result, his world building remains intriguing and his characters fascinatingly grounded and real, an important trait that adds authenticity to the drama. His ability to include a heavy information dump, is immensely stimulating and satisfying in many ways, even as he continues to remain razor focused on the events at hand without deviating even once. The direction is excellent here.
Performances
The performances are excellent by the members of the ensemble cast, and huge shoutout to the casting director for handpicking a bunch of supremely talented actors (and the OTT platform and producers Applause Entertainment for backing them). Apeksha Iyer as Nalini’s colleague and Sukanya Nagda as Shanthi have their moments to shine. Saurabh Dubey, Rama Rao Jadhav and Amol Deshmukh are excellent actors, and each one of them are competent in their respective roles. Anand Singaravelan, Lara Bharathi, Vishnu G Varrier and Sadasivam Suryanarayan are important cogs in the narrative and all of them manage to impress. Shruthy Jayan as Dhanu and Gouri Padmakumar as Subha are subtly understated yet simmering with angst, and both these characters are excellent to witness here. Anjana Balaji as Nalini and Sai Dinesh Badram as her husband terrifically add to the emotional core of the drama despite being on the wrong side of the authorities, and the angst and pain portrayed by them was a sight to witness.
Vidyuth Gargi as Captain Ravindran is one of the ever-shining sparks of the show. His tall demeanor and towering personality further elevates the righteous nature of the character in what is an excellent job done by him. Shafeeq Mustafa as Sivarasan is menacing and intimidating while coming off as an angst-driven character that is dealing with his own conflict of survival. And his mannerisms are enough to send a chill diwn your spine. Bhagavathi Perumal aka Bucks as Ragothaman is wonderfully understated and extremely stimulating with his antics and glances, that makes his character fascinating to the core. Girish Sharma as Radhavinod Raju delivers a dignified performance in a character that is righteous and assertive through his antics and mannerisms. I liked how he controlled the expressions on his face, that gave the character a grounded demeanor. Danish Iqbal as Amod is superb to the core in a character that typically is an ‘outsider’ with respect to the language barrier that he encounters. But the character rises above the drawback while delivering a subtly absorbing performance that is laced with intensity, a trait that you observe in his eyes.
Amit Sial as Kaarthikeyan is poised and simply brilliant with his calm demeanor and body language, even at times when tempers flair around him. There is a sense of trust and assurance that the character exudes, something that also remains compromised at the end (given that his hands are tied), a moderate duality that is carried forth with utmost dignity. He was an absolute treat to witness (like always).
The decision to cast Sahil Vaid for the role of Amit will go down as one of the brilliant anti-casting decisions of the year. For those unfamiliar, Sahil has been an active participant in the theatre circuit of Mumbai (he always has been a phenomenal actor) but fortunately or unfortunately for him, only reduced to a side-kick or a comedy relief on celluloid. This series offers him a probing sense of hope with a complex character that is outwardly assertive and outspoken, whilst also being conflicted about the workings of the system. And Sahil grabbed this opportunity, while essaying one of the most nuanced portrayals of investigating characters on celluloid this year. He exudes confidence with respect to his body language that also deflates at times in moments of angst, a duality that was beautifully controlled. The emotional core of his character remained so strong that you gravitate towards him, whilst witnessing a towering acting masterclass that is hard-hitting in every sense of the word. He was brilliant to the core here.
Conclusion
The Hunt – The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case is a riveting procedural drama backed by solid performances that makes for a brilliantly poignant watch. A thing to note would be that this isn’t a show that you would wish to watch in the ‘background’. It is dense with information and requires focus to understand the nuances of the proceedings. If you are willing to invest in it, the results will be wonderfully fruitful. Available on SonyLiv and Highly Recommended!
