The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case

As a teenager in 1991, I followed the Rajiv Gandhi assassination using newspaper cuttings - so I was already invested (read this review with that bias)

The Hunt is the television equivalent of a promising student who aces the midterm but bombs the final. It's a series that knows exactly what it wants to be, until it doesn't.

The Good News First: E 1 & 6 are genuinely excellent television. Kukunoor's direction in these episodes shows what happens when authentic procedural storytelling meets cinematic craftsmanship. Amit Sial's performance as Kaarthikeyan is consistently strong throughout, anchoring even the weaker episodes with his committed portrayal.

The Pacing Problem: Here's where things get messy. The Hunt suffers from classic limited series syndrome... too much story for too few episodes, yet somehow still managing to feel padded. Ep 1 hooks you brilliantly, Ep 2 stumbles slightly, Ep 3 recovers nicely, Ep 4 hits cruise control, Ep 5 finds its groove again, Ep 6 delivers a masterclass, and Episode 7... well, let's just say it exists.

This isn't random: it's a series that never quite figured out its rhythm. The investigation's natural pace doesn't align with television's need for consistent dramatic beats, creating a frustrating stop-start momentum that undermines the overall experience.

What Works: The authenticity feels genuine without being dry. The supporting cast, particularly in Tamil Nadu sequences, creates believable chemistry. Production values remain solid throughout, and the historical respectfulness never feels like a burden.

What Doesn't: The dialogue switching between languages remains jarring across all episodes. More critically, the series peaks too early... Ep 6's excellence makes the finale feel even more disappointing by comparison.

The Verdict: The Hunt is good television that could have been great. It's worth watching for Sial's performance and those standout episodes, but it's also a masterclass in how uneven pacing can derail otherwise solid storytelling.

Bottom Line: A series that proves authenticity and good intentions aren't enough without consistent execution. The Hunt gets more right than wrong, but those wrongs sting more because you can see how great it COULD HAVE been.

Anwar Says: A nostalgic story for the audience of 55 plus , sticking to basics, no non-sense and simultaneously revealing some facts, which at least I didn't know. For instance, the suicide bombers made a dry run on Mr. V P Singh before assassinating Rajiv Gandhi or they had Plan-B ready. Another distinguishing feature is that real names with real identities were used and I am surprised that in 2025 , censorship authorities have passed and this shows the brilliance of Nagesh Kukanoor.

Two more commendable features of this web series are casting and cinematography. Amit Sial as SIT chief is top class, as always but two more actors are worth following are Sahil Vaid as SP Amit and One Eyed Jack ( Marlon Brando fame)-Sivrasan played by Shafeeq Mustafa, the blue eyed boy of LTTE chief Prabhakaran. Shooting in the actual roads and lanes and making a 90 days hunt with landline phones, fax and no internet and latest gadgets look like a dream in the present context.

Nagesh has said in an interview that One thinks that he knows about Rajiv Gandhi assassination but he doesn't. Watch it and then you would know, he is right.

#SonyLIV #anwarsays #rajivgandhi #ltte #Jaffna #NageshKukunoor #AmitSial #mustwatch #thehunt.

I watched 'The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case' with my parents over 2 days. Here are my thoughts:

Pros: This series is undoubtedly good, especially since it's based on a novel. I didn't experience a single dull moment, and the actors, including Amit Sial and Sahil Vaid, delivered outstanding performances. The location and casting were very realistic, and Nagesh Kukunoor's direction was top-notch.

Cons: One major issue I faced while watching with my parents was the language barrier. Although I set the language to Hindi, about 50% of the dialogue was in Tamil, 30% in Hindi, and 20% in English. The subtitles were only available in English, which made it difficult for my parents to follow the conversation since they don't know Tamil or English. Despite their interest in the series, they missed out on about 70% of the dialogue. I didn't understand one thing here when you are giving language option of Hindi why you are speaking in Tamil and in English when there was option of Tamil language already.

Additionally, it would have been great if the series had provided more details about what happened to each member captured in the series.

Overall, it's puzzling why the series didn't stick to the chosen language. Despite this, the series is worth watching, especially for its historical significance.

Excellent presentation No politics no propaganda. Shot like any other crime thriller .

Best in recent times . Every moment worth watching.

Casting is excellent,the pace of each episode is just right , the research is appropriate for the presentation. The characters are very well presented. It's important for the country to know the character and integrity that existed in that time and in the absence of sophisticated equipment ,it was all left to human coordination and network .the sets are good , the script is well done and has no rhetoric. The music could have been a little subdued and looks a little over but the overall experience more than makes up for it.

'The Hunt' is not just another true-crime series; it's a powerful and refreshingly grounded procedural that trusts its audience. In a world of over-dramatized historical events, this show takes the opposite approach, focusing on the painstaking, pre-internet legwork of the investigation into Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. The decision to use a cast of incredible character actors instead of big-name stars is the show's greatest strength. Amit Sial as the SIT Chief is the quiet, steady anchor in a storm of chaos, and the entire ensemble feels like real people doing an impossible job, not actors playing a part.

The pacing is deliberate, and that's the point. It's a "howdunnit," not a "whodunnit," and the tension comes from the sheer difficulty of the task-chasing down leads across cities with nothing but files, landline phones, and pure instinct. It forces you to appreciate the monumental effort of the investigators. The series avoids easy answers and cinematic shortcuts, presenting the facts and the process with a raw authenticity that is often chilling. It demands your patience, but the payoff is a deep, unsettling understanding of one of India's darkest chapters.

This is not a show you binge-watch casually; it's a show you absorb. It's a history lesson wrapped in a top-tier thriller, and it's one of the most intelligent and important Indian series to come out in years. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates quality filmmaking and a story told with integrity.