Kunal Karan Kapoor on The Raikar Case: Dysfunctional dramas are always binge-worthy

It’s maybe not the best of times to watch a family murder-mystery confined to a single household. Still, the new Voot Select Original, The Raikar Case, serves up enough twists and a stellar cast to take your mind off the lockdown. 

Streaming since April 10, the seven-part whodunit centres on the Naik Raikars, an influential family in Goa. Affluent and close-knit, the family is headed by Yashwant (Atul Kulkarni) and his wife Sakshi (Ashwini Bhave). Their children are Mohit (Kunal Karan Kapoor) and Etasha (Parul Gulati). When Tarun — the youngest member and Yashwant’s nephew — is found dead on a beach, the entire family falls under suspicion. Almost everyone has something to hide, and old secrets come to the fore as the case is investigated by officer John Pereria (Neil Bhoopalam). 

“The dysfunctional family drama makes for a binge-worthy experience,” says Kunal, who makes his digital debut with the show after a two-year hiatus from television. “I had been auditioning for a while and the format of The Raikar Case really clicked with me.” His character, Mohit, is a rich heir with a strained relationship with his family. “It was intriguing to play the part of an ignored, neglected and abused child,” the actor shares. “Compared to television, the web format gives you a lot more time and space to create interesting characters. It was certainly a first for me.”

The show opens with Mohit’s sister, Etasha, bearing the guilt of her cousin’s death. Turns out, Tarun had called her several times before the alleged incident — something that drives her to solve the case on her own. “It was a totally new space for me,” shares Parul, who has previously starred in the web shows Haq Se and Selection Day. “The murder-mystery setup was taxing and emotionally draining. I had to shoot the maximum hours in that cramped atmosphere, much like the times we are living in,” she laughs. 

Along the way, Etasha teams up with officer John Pereria in her quest. Neil, who is playing a cop for the first time, says he was drawn to the world of Goan law enforcement. “In most of my previous works (Shaitan, No One Killed Jessica), I was always the guy getting into trouble. So it was fun to play a character on the other side of the law.” The fun of a whodunnit, Neil adds, is in the gradual unravelling of seemingly innocuous characters. “It’s all about creating that Scooby-Doo moment where you go… ‘Oh! this person did it.’”