Film: HIT: The First Case

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Sanya Malhotra, Dalip Tahhil, Milind Gunaji, Shilpa Shukla, Shanu Kumar, Rohan Singh, Sanjay Narvekar

Director: Dr. Sailesh Kolanu

Rating: 3.5 Moons

HIT: The First Case begins on an intriguing note. Introducing the audience to Vikram’s (Rajkummar) traumatic past, the director Dr. Sailesh Kolanu wastes no time in pressing the start button of the 2 hours 16 minutes long rollercoaster ride. It is packed with edgy twists, a pacy narrative and an unexpected climax. HIT, which stands for Homicide Intervention Team, is a remake of Sailesh’s Telugu directorial of the same title starring Vishwak Sen. 

The Hindi version is set in Rajasthan. The story revolves around Vikram, a cop who is struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after his beloved Sushma was burned alive in the mountains a few years ago. While he is unable to come out of the trauma, the best cop in the department receives the news of his girlfriend Neha (Sanya Malhotra) going missing. Not just Neha, a young girl named Preeti also goes untraceable. Vikram is tasked with the responsibility of investigating Preeti’s missing case. While joining the dots, he learns about the connection between Neha and Preeti. Retaining the essence and flavour of the original HIT: The First Case, Sailesh makes a conscious effort to not present the exact same storyline to his Hindi audience. He adds a fresh twist to the climax to keep the audience hooked. 

With every film, Rajkummar Rao makes it loud and clear that he is among India’s best actors. Venturing into the dark space of Vikram, he brings alive the character’s trauma and emotional vulnerabilities. Carrying the weight of creating the same impact as the Telugu version, he lends his own creative support to translate Sailesh’s story on the big screen. Rajkummar is an actor belonging to a different league and HIT: The First Case proves it yet again. 

Sanya, yet another brilliant actor, has a handful of scenes and they are impactful. She is like sunshine on a dull rainy day. Though a few, her scenes with Rajkummar look lovely. We hope she gets a longer role in the upcoming sequel. Dalip Tahhil, Milind Gunaji and Shilpa Shukla lend strong support to the story. 

The story, credited to Sailesh, is engaging, thrilling and will keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Striking the right balance between content and entertainment, there is an important issue addressed in the climax. Certainly. HIT: The First Case should definitely be on your watch list but the film is not free of flaws. Since it has sequels in the pipeline, many questions remain answered. This is one of the key reasons why the gap between the characters and the audience is barely covered. The fact that Vikram gets a narco test done in the police station without his senior being aware of it comes across as unbelievable. 

Without spoiling the fun of HIT: The First Case, the simple and clear take is to watch the film and keep guessing!

PeepingMoon gives HIT: The First Case 3.5 Moons