Rajkummar Rao single-handedly runs this very intriguing edge-of-the-seat investigation-thriller which is very finely helmed by Sailesh Kolanu who also directed the original Telugu film titled the same.

HIT – The First Case starring Rajkummar Rao, Sanya Malhotra and ensemble of other actors is the official Hindi remake of the 2020 Telugu film titled the same that starred Vishwak Sen. The Hindi version is directed by Sailesh Kolanu who also helmed the Telugu film.

HIT is an abbreviation for ‘Homicide Intervention Team’ which is a police cell specially designed to tackle murder investigations. The best officer of this team is Vikram, who is a tragedy struck cop. Not one, but two tragedies. He has huge post traumatic stress. But what these tragedies exactly are, is not revealed in this film. Vikram’s girlfriend, Neha, played by Sanya Malhotra also tried to know about Vikram’s past. However, he doesn’t reveal the same to her either.

HIT – The First Case is the first film in this franchise of undefined length. The first one of the franchises revolves around Vikram trying to figure out the case of mysterious disappearance of a girl which is also interlinked with the case of disappearance of his girlfriend Neha. He navigates through this while dealing with his own past baggage.

What makes this film such an intriguing edge-of-the-seat watch is its plot. Some spoilers ahead. There are multiple suspects, but none seem to have committed the crime. You are invested in figuring out who is the criminal and you are also investigating along with the protagonist. Though the movement of the plot is very slow, you are always kept on the edge and there isn’t a boring minute. Just one downside of this plot is that when the least suspected person turns out to be the murderer, your intellect is slightly shaken. The climax is hurriedly condensed in the last few minutes and could have been a little longer and the case could have been explained better. However, this doesn’t take away the joy of watching a thrilling investigation drama and you really enjoy the entire runtime.

Another reason what makes this film so good are the performances. Rajkummar Rao is the show runner and single-handedly carries the entire film on his shoulders. He manages to carry agony, grief, guilt and the no-nonsense cop look very well on his face. From delivering the dialogues in the Rajasthani accent to the cop persona, he nails everything. Sanya Malhotra’s talent is for sure wasted in this film. She has very limited screen presence and scope of work. Hopefully, we’ll be able to see more of her in the sequels to come. Others in the supporting cast perform average and no one is notably extraordinary.

On the technical front, Sailesh Kolanu’s direction and screenplay is really great and he knows how he wants his story to reach the audience. The cinematography and editing are also decent. The BGM is average and the soundtrack doesn’t have any noteworthy tracks. The production design and art are also average with a few locations looking very caricaturized.

On the whole, HIT – The First Case is a fantastic film and will be a treat to all the lovers of the investigation- thriller genre as well as a treat for the Rajkummar Rao fans. Even if you have seen the original film, this one will be a good watch. If you haven’t seen the original, and want to avoid the subtitles hassle, this is it.

You can watch the trailer here: