The Hunt: Why this understated, gritty political procedural is a must-watch

The Hunt is a gripping, restrained thriller on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, focusing on the CBI’s investigation, avoiding sensationalism, and standing out for its realism and quiet intensity.

A still from The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case

When it comes to true crime thrillers in India, there's usually a formula at play—either the stories are overly dramatised to grip audiences or they become too preachy, pushing a specific narrative. Nagesh Kukunoor's The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case on Sony LIV (OTTplay Premium) breaks out of both these traps. It's one of the most daring and restrained OTT shows, which is why it works.

Procedural, not a political drama

Based on the events following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the series doesn’t waste time sugarcoating or overdramatising the subject. Instead, it zooms in on the 90-day investigation led by the CBI, focusing on the people tasked with solving one of the most complicated and politically sensitive crimes in Indian history. And it does so with a kind of sharp focus that’s rare in the OTT space today.

The Hunt establishes its tone from the very first episode, avoiding an emotional deep dive into Rajiv Gandhi's life or a political hot take. What it chooses to be is a procedural, almost forensic look at how the investigation unfolded how the leads were tracked, and how the pieces came together. There’s no spoon-feeding, no grand speeches, and no stylised “hero” entry moments. The story does not revolve around one man’s glory—it’s about a team, their exhaustion, and their persistence.

ALSO READ: The Hunt review: Nagesh Kukunoor crafts a slow-burn manhunt with haunting precision

Amit Sial anchors narrative with quiet strength

Amit Sial, who plays D.R. Kaarthikeyan, the man heading the investigation, delivers a performance that’s tightly held and quietly powerful. He doesn’t play the character for applause—he plays him with the kind of weary, measured energy that feels authentic. He’s in almost every scene, and not once does it feel like he’s performing for the camera. That kind of restraint becomes the emotional spine of the show. It’s not about what he says, but how he holds it together when everything around him is chaotic.

The supporting cast is equally effective. The series maintains a consistent tone as no one attempts to take centre stage. Everyone—from the analysts to the field agents to the suspects—feels lived-in. Sahil Vaid as Amit Verma brings a necessary balance to the core investigative team. While Amit Sial’s D.R. Kaarthikeyan is stoic and methodical, Sahil plays Verma with a quiet curiosity and emotional accessibility that makes him instantly relatable. He represents the younger, more instinct-driven side of the investigation—often reacting with urgency, sometimes with frustration, but always with conviction. What stands out in his portrayal is the undercurrent of empathy; he’s not just chasing leads, he’s internalising the human cost of the crime they’re trying to solve. There’s a moment where Verma's exhaustion bleeds into anger, and Sahil handles it without tipping into melodrama. He gives Amit Verma just the right amount of vulnerability to make you root for him—not as a heroic officer, but as someone doing his job under impossible pressure. It’s one of Sahil’s most grounded and mature performances yet.

Chilling antagonist without theatrics

The character of Sivarasan (Shafeeq Mustafa) in particular, is portrayed with an unnerving calm. There are no loud declarations of villainy. The silence in his scenes speaks more powerfully than any dialogue could. It is precisely this stillness that leaves a lasting impression. What makes Shafeeq’s portrayal even more chilling is how ordinary Sivarasan appears—soft-spoken, observant, almost invisible in a crowd—which is precisely what makes him so dangerous. He doesn’t need to raise his voice or resort to theatrics to command attention. His presence is disarming, calculated, and precise. Every time he appears on screen, there’s a quiet tension that builds, even when he’s doing nothing at all. Shafeeq portrays him as a man aware of his constant advantage, yet he never allows this confidence to morph into arrogance. It’s a performance that relies more on gaze, posture, and silence than words, and the result is one of the most psychologically unsettling antagonists seen in recent Indian thrillers.

The Hunt excels by avoiding sensationalism. It would have been easy to take creative liberties, exaggerate moments for shock value, or push political agendas. But the show resists all that. It treats its subject with maturity and seriousness. While that may not make it the "most entertaining" show, it is one of the most important.

The technical aspects deserve a mention too. The production design effectively captures the essence of the early '90s without overpowering viewers with nostalgia. The rotary phones, the newsroom setups, and the public transport shots all convey a sense of realism without becoming overly stylised. The camera work is gritty but not flashy. The background score stays in the background, where it belongs, adding to the tension without dominating the scenes.

Trust audience's intelligence

That said, what impressed me most was how the show trusts the intelligence of its audience. It doesn't slow down to explain every term or rehash events you already know. It expects you to keep up. That alone exudes boldness, particularly in a time when a significant portion of OTT content revolves around virality or instant gratification.

In terms of genre, The Hunt fits into the political thriller space, but it’s really a procedural at heart. It’s about the steps, the delays, the missteps, the luck, and the breakthroughs that define real investigations. It doesn't glamorise the process. It shows people chasing leads for days, getting nowhere, sitting through long interrogations, and fighting internal doubts. And it still manages to hold your attention, even without any action-packed set pieces.

More than anything else, The Hunt works because it doesn’t treat history as a set of facts to be packaged into entertainment. It is treated as a memory that still lives with those involved and continues to echo politically and socially today. The series reminds you that the incident isn’t just a “case” that was solved. It was a moment that shifted the country, one that’s still raw for many.

Power of an unsettling ending

The final episode leaves you without a sense of closure. You’re left with discomfort—and that’s a good thing. Not every show must resolve every plot point. Some stories are meant to sit with you long after the screen fades to black.

And that’s what makes The Hunt one of the boldest thrillers on OTT right now. Not because it shouts, but because it refuses to.

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