With its gripping storyline and unflinching portrayal of a national tragedy, Nagesh Kukunoor’s latest series, ‘The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case’, has struck a powerful chord with audiences.

Among the many hard-hitting moments in the series, one scene in particular has left a lasting impact — the harrowing interrogation of LTTE members Das and Nalini by NSG officer Captain Ravindran. In the scene, the officer bends the rules and fakes a brutal threat of sexual assault to extract a confession from Das.

In an exclusive conversation with Mathrubhumi English, actor Vidyuth Gargi, who portrays Captain Ravindran, opened up about the emotional toll of filming the controversial scene — and how deeply uncomfortable it made him feel.

Talking about it, Vidyuth recalled it being his audition scene, however, not for the role of Ravindran. Interestingly, Vidyuth auditioned to play Das’s character, but was roped in to play the NSG officer. He said, “That scene was actually my audition scene. I originally auditioned for Das and had to cry, scream, and get slapped — it was intense. But when I got the part of Captain Ravindran, I knew the scene was coming, and I was nervous.”

He went on to describe how, during filming, he repeatedly checked in with his co-star to make sure she was comfortable, expressing his own unease with the scene. “It’s a morally grey moment — my character, a military man who stands by the law, is asking for permission to do something technically illegal and ultimately cruel. It took a lot of internal work. I had to really get into the headspace to justify those actions. I even kept checking with the actor playing Nalini to make sure she was okay. She finally told me, ‘Dude, it’s a scene. Just do it.’ That helped. It was probably the most difficult scene I’ve ever done,” said Vidyuth.

While the interrogation scene made Vidyuth feel uncomfortable, there was another scene that left him feeling completely frustrated. It was the scene where the NSG had surrounded the house where the assailants were hiding and was fully prepared to move in. However, they were ordered to stand down for over 30 hours, and by the time the operation was finally cleared, the assailants had already consumed cyanide.

Calling it ‘frustrating’, Vidyuth said, “The scene where the NSG awaits outside the house was shot in a village area near Virar. We were actually waiting for hours in the heat. It was frustrating, and that frustration felt very real, just like how the actual team must’ve felt back then. My character is prepared to go in, everything is planned, and then someone says, "Wait." I didn't have to act much in that scene. It was honest emotion. That helplessness and urgency were genuinely felt on set.”

Furthermore, when asked about his experience of being directed by the acclaimed filmmaker, Vidyuth called it “a dream”. Praising Nagesh for his directorial skills, Vidyuth said, “He handles every actor differently — no blanket directions. He knows exactly how to get the best from each person.”

“Since my scenes involved a lot of movement, he taught me how to use the camera — how to run, when to slow down, how to let the camera catch you. He even used sound cues with me, like grunting when he wanted a raw vibe. As an actor, I learned a lot. And as someone interested in filmmaking, I learned even more just by watching him work. He’s a legend — truly,” concluded the actor.

Meanwhile, starring a powerful ensemble led by Amit Sial, the series is adapted from Anirudhya Mitra’s investigative book ‘Ninety Days: The True Story of the Hunt for Rajiv Gandhi's Assassins’, and produced by Applause Entertainment. It follows the intense and meticulous investigation by the SIT into one of the most shocking political assassinations in Indian history.