Web Series’ The Hunt- The Rajiv Gandhi Assanslation Case ‘Based on the Book ’90 Days’, Casting of the show was the most challenging | Director Nagesh Kukunur interview: Web series ‘The Hunt- The Rajiv Gandhi Asisanation Case’ Based on the 90 Days Book, the casting of the show was the most challenging

Director Nagesh Kukunur’s web series’ The Hunt- Stream on Sony Live from July 4. Amit Sial, Sahil Vaidya, Shafiq Mustafa are seen in the lead roles in this series based on Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. Nagesh, in a conversation with Dainik Bhaskar, told the show’s most challenging thing about authentic casting and location. He has also had a special conversation on its making.

Story of ‘The Hunt- The Rajiv Gandhi Asisanation Case’

This is the True Crime Thriller Series. The story begins with the Rajiv Gandhi murder case. What happens next 90 days? The way this event is incorporated is the story. It has no political implication nor any finger pointing. The show is based on the ’90 Days’ book written by Anirudh Mitra, which is a story like a police crime thriller. Applause approached me this project, then it was excited, as this event is in public records. It was a very large part in our life. The story begins with special investment. After the murder, how the people of LTTE escaped from the location, how they were caught, this is shown with sensitivity.

The story of the series is based on journalist Anirudh Mitra’s book.

Seven people were involved in the research of the project

I have done three seasons of ‘City of Dreams’ with Applaz Entertainment. There is a good friendship with Sameer Nair, head of Applaz Entertainment. He pitched me this interesting projects. Its research included a total of 7 people, including three writers and their four assistants. Nowadays 90 percent research is done online. You want smart boys and girls, who hold a trade and track all the documents. We did all the research material books. It took 8 to 9 months to read the final shooting script. The project started in 2022. I actively joined July-August 2022. After 8–10 months, we went to the shooting locations. The year 2023 project ended and the year 2024 was engaged in post production work. Now this series is getting stream from July 4.

Shooted in 70 days at four prime shooting location

It took about 70 days to shoot this series. Apart from the interior of Mumbai and Maharashtra, he was shot in outskirts in Hyderabad including the Old City Area of Hyderabad. These were our four prime shooting locations. In Hyderabad, all the remaining shooting was done in Mumbai and Maharashtra for 20 to 23 days. Apart from this, many drone shots have also been taken from the real location of Chennai and Madurai so that authentic.

Actually, there are very few Old City in India. The year 1991 is completely different from India and today’s India. He went to Chennai in the process of matching it, but there is no old area left there. I am from Hyderabad, so I know a lot about Hyderabad, so many locations similar to the story were found here. My two assistants were from Chennai. When he saw the locations of Hyderabad, he shocked. They started saying that it is very similar to Chennai.

Casting was the biggest challenge for the series

In this series, there was a double challenge to match Real Person in appearing in this series. Amit Sial has played the character of SIT Head DR Kartikeyan. It took a long time to find them. But they met, then their mustache etc. were matching. Casting is the biggest problem in True Stories, as real life is visual picture of people. There should also be a match with a good actor. Apart from Amit Sial, there are two-three more important characters in the series. One is the role of Amit Verma, who is played by Sahil Vaidya. For this role, such an actor was needed, who would perform the scenes of Hindi and Tamil well.

Amit Sial has played the character of SIT Head DR Kartikeyan.

Luck was good that Sahil Vaidya, who looks like Amit Verma, met. He at that time had a weight put on for the role of a wrestler. Meet Sahil, then it was found that he is from North and grew up in Tamil Nadu, then he also knows Tamil. The second is the role of Shivarasan, which is played by Shafiq Mustafa. It was very important to match them. It is not that we have not matched another character, but their screen presence is high, so the perfect match was to be done.

Shafiq Mustafa Finli met in Kerala. They look exactly like Shivarasana, but it took a long time to find them. Try a lot of actors for their character. Apart from the casting director, I select the actors by auditioning myself. I usually take two to three months in casting, but the casting of this series took a full four to five months. We cast a total of 130 actors who played small and big characters in Hindi and Tamil. Hundreds of actors were auditioned for them. 20 to 25 actors for big roles and four to five actors for small roles were auditioned.

Real challenge becomes screen challenge

Some scenes were between two Hindi speaking, the other people of LTTE speak Tamil, that too not Indian, Sri Lankan with Tamil. Thirdly, Hindi and Tamil also talk between the people of LTTE and SIT. Once upon a time, the people of SIT talk to some other people, who do not know Hindi, then they talk to them in English. This is the biggest challenge in India. At that time it was also the biggest challenge for the SIT team.

In the series, Malayali actor Shafiq Mustafa played the role of mastermind Shivarasan. (Shafiq in black shirt)

While choosing the team, keeping these things in mind, choose the team, which react with the center and can also invest well in the ground. This challenge was in real him and the same challenge came to me after 30 years. If I have studied in a boarding school in Tamil Nadu, I can understand well. But there is a huge gap in understanding and directing. I used to get tired while directing this show, because after finishing one scene in Hindi, another scene had to be done in Tamil.

The number of episodes increased due to climax

The series was about to make in six episodes, but when the climax came to know about what had happened, while writing it felt that I would make six episodes, then there would be a very long episode, so it broke it and made seven episodes. It took no more than seven days to shoot a climax, but the climax takes time for a whole episode.

Shooting of climax was shot in interior Mumbai and exterior scenes in a village at two and a half hours from Mumbai. Here he used to get up at four in the morning and go to shoot. It used to take two to two and a half hours to reach the set. Well, it was very fun to shoot the climax. I enjoy shooting in the village. My bus goes, then I should shoot all the films in the village itself. But they go with big units, then it is difficult to stay and the budget increases significantly in shooting in the village. Yes, there was more than six episodes from six, then the budget of course increased. Since I have a good relationship with Applaz, there was no problem in passing the increased budget. Yes, there was another production house, then I would definitely have to think.

Actor Sahil Vaidya is in an important role in the series.

Next season and OTT advantage

There is only one season on the Rajiv Gandhi murder case, but if there is another hunt, then want to make it, then another season can also come. The way Season-1 and Season-2 of ‘Scam’ took place. You can bring that way, but there is only one season on Rajiv Gandhi. This has been my most challenging project, as it has two language running together. It will have a different version. There will be a version, where Hindi parts will be kept in Hindi, the parts of Tamil will be in Tamil and will be sub-title in Tamil parts. There will be a version, in which Tamil parts will also be dubbed in Hindi. In one version, the whole show will be in Tamil. The original sources are Hindi and Tamil. These are the advantage of OTT. Click in the language you want to see.