HIT: The First Case Movie Review: Rajkummar Rao Takes Us On A Thrilling Ride And Solves The Case

Rating:
3.0/5
Star Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Sanya Malhotra, Shanu Kumar, Rohan Singh, Shilpa Shukla
Director: Sailesh Kolanu

"Ek baar ek teacher ne student se puchcha, raasta important hain yaa manzil," asks Vikram (Rajkummar Rao) to which his girlfriend Neha (Sanya Malhotra) promptly replies, "Tum kahoge company." The same holds true for Sailesh Kolanu's Bollywood directorial debut, HIT: The First Case which is an adaptation of his Telugu film of the same name. With intriguing characters and suspense in the air, Kolanu keeps you invested in the film till the end of its journey.

What's Yay: Performances, direction

What's Nay: Tweak in the twist

Story

Story

Vikram (Rajkummar Rao), a dedicated police officer in the Homicide Intervention Team is battling post traumatic stress due to a personal tragedy.

Each time he witnesses a gruesome crime scene, it triggers his panic attacks and makes his knees go jelly. Further, whenever he faces fire, it causes his past chilling memories related to the loss of a dear one to resurface.

Upon his therapist's advice, Vikram takes a break from his work to visit his hometown. However, soon he receives the news that his girlfriend Neha (Sanya Malhotra) has gone missing.

On the other hand, a young college girl Neha disappears in broad daylight. As Vikram tries to get to the bottom of the mystery, he is unaware that a huge shocker is awaiting him.

Direction

Direction

When it comes to thrillers, it's important to have well-fleshed characters to create tension in the air and director Sailesh Kolanu manages to achieve this to a large extent.

His latest Hindi outing stays true to the essence of Telugu original. Kolanu also retains some impressive scenes from the Vishwak Sen-starrer in the Hindi remake. Here too, he uses non-linear narrative to reveal Vikram's tragic past in flashes. Kolanu also imbibes some subtle humour in his writing to lighten up the mood when things get gloomy.

When it comes to the flipside, the tweak in the twist lacks a punch. After all the high build-up and suspense, the climax leaves you feeling a bit underwhelmed.

Performances

Performances

Right from the first frame till the last, Rajkummar Rao delivers his cop act with conviction. Playing an emotionally-drained character isn't an easy feat. But, Rao with his nuances and detailing nails it completely.

Sans an author-backed role in HIT: The First Case, Sanya Malhotra smiles her way throughout the film. Milind Gunaji is wasted in a flimsy role.

Technical Aspects

Technical Aspects

S Manikandan uses dark hues from his colour palette to create a sombre ambience which adds to the thrills. The editing of the film gels with Sailesh Kolanu's taut storytelling.

Music

Music

'Tinka' crooned by Jubin Nautinyal is a situational track which captures the state of mind of a central character. Mithoon-Arijit Singh's romantic ballad 'Kitni Haseen Hogi' is a pleasant hear.

Verdict

Verdict

In one of the scenes in HIT: The First Case, a character tells another, "Yeh bewakoof apne aap ko sheeshe mein bhi nahin dhund sakta." It's a relief that the makers of this Rajkummar Rao film don't pull off any silly feat in the Hindi remake.

We give 3 stars out of 5 to Rajkummar Rao-Sanya Malhotra's HIT: The First Case.

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