Nagesh Kukunoor to direct Trail Of An Assassin; a series about the hunt for Rajiv Gandhi’s killers

The assassination of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991, during an election rally in Sriperumbudur is one of the most sensational political murders, and a subject that has fascinated writers and filmmakers. The circumstances surrounding how a suicide bomber came to take the life of the Indian politician, the mission operatives who spent months tracking his movements, the subsequent hunt for the surviving members, etc., is stuff that makes for a riveting read or viewing, as the case maybe.

In the past, Kannada filmmaker AMR Ramesh had made Cyanide, a film about the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, from the perspective of the operatives, led by the one-eyed Sivarasan, in the 20 days leading up to the fateful night. Ramesh had announced another film on the same subject, called Asphota, as well as a series on the LTTE, the organization responsible for Rajiv’s death.

And now, there’s another series that has been greenlit for production on this subject. Applause Entertainment will produce a series called Trail Of An Assassin, which will be directed by Nagesh Kukunoor. The series is based on Anirudhya Mitra’s book, Ninety Days: The True Story of the Hunt for Rajiv Gandhi’s Assassin. It will be a detailed account of how the CBI’s Special Investigation Team cracked the assassination plot, identified the LTTE operatives who were a part of the mission, and cornered them in the house they were hiding out at in Bengaluru. After a gun-fight with the police team spanning hours, the chief suspect Sivarasan and his six confederates took their own lives instead of surrendering.

"I look forward to taking on this gritty and thrilling piece of storytelling, adapted from Ninety Days: The True Story of the Hunt for Rajiv Gandhi's Assassin,” said Nagesh. The book is a definitive account of the biggest manhunt launched in India.