In an era where casting decisions often feel shrouded in secrecy, The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case opens a rare window into the deeply personal journeys of two of its lead actors — Amit Sial and Sahil Vaid. In an exclusive conversation with Movified, the duo shared candid insights about how their paths crossed with director Nagesh Kukunoor, and how the film came into their lives not just as a role, but as a moment of alignment.
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For the Love of Storytelling — and Nagesh Kukunoor
When asked how The Hunt happened for them, Sahil Vaid was quick to point out a beautiful coincidence:
“Hum dono ki kahani mein ek cheez common hai — hum dono Nagesh Sir ke saath kaam karna chahte the.”
For Sahil, who hails from Salem, Tamil Nadu, landing the role came down to an unexpected moment of authenticity. After performing a scene in Hindi during auditions, he returned the same day and redid the scene in Tamil — a move that caught the director’s attention.
“Nagesh Sir didn’t know I was from Salem. Maine dobara jaakar scene Tamil mein kiya. Aur unki dedication dekh ke mujhe hairani hui — mujhe Tamil cue dene ke liye unhone waha ek Tamil ladka bithaya.”
Impressed by his effort and linguistic fluency, Nagesh invited Sahil for a look test. The meeting quickly turned into a serendipitous discovery session.
“Hamari baat-chit mein pata chala ki main jahan se hoon — Salem — usi ke paas Yercaud mein Nagesh Sir boarding school mein the. Hamara favourite restaurant bhi same nikla!”
It was more than a casting choice — it was a cultural connection. Sahil became the perfect blend Nagesh was looking for: a North Indian who could speak Tamil fluently.
Amit Sial: More Than Just a Role
For Amit Sial, the casting process wasn’t defined by auditions or scripts — it was about shared worldviews. He describes Nagesh as a “sajjan purush” and recalls their early interactions as rich, wandering conversations that covered everything but the project.
“Project ke baare mein jyada nahi — idhar udhar ki baatein zyada hui. Politics, desh mein kya chal raha hai, duniya ka nazariya.”
This wasn’t about memorizing lines — it was about reading minds. Nagesh seemed to be gauging whether Amit held the depth and introspection necessary for the intense, politically loaded narrative.
“He probably just wanted to know how I am as a person — mere vichar kya hain, mere khayal kya hain. Yeh samajhne ke liye ki kya is aadmi mein voh maturity hai character nibhaane ki.”
Over time, their relationship evolved. What began as cautious exploration blossomed into mutual trust and creative transparency.
“Now, I think we are more open to each other. We know much more about each other.”
