Sanchita
For the unversed, this Rajkummar Rao starrer is the Hindi remake of the Telugu action-thriller HIT: The First Case.
Read HIT: The First Case Remake Movie Review –
Director: Sailesh Kolanu (who also helmed the original)
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Sanya Malhotra, Shilpa Shukla, Milind Gunaji
Rating: 2.5/5
Runtime: 2 hours 16 min
Storyline:
The plot of the Hindi adaptation of HIT: The First Case is more or less similar, with a slightly tweaked climax (which was personally quite meh). Sailesh Kolanu has even kept the names of all the characters the same in the remake!
Rajkummar plays Vikram – a cop from the Homicide Intervention Team (HIT). He’s battling severe PTSD after witnessing a horrifying crime happen to someone he’s close to. The sight of fire is particularly triggering for him….
His girlfriend Neha (Sanya Malhotra) who is a forensic official, goes missing after reaching a breakthrough in a case. Vikram jumps on it, desperate to find some clue.
The case – A young woman – Preethi, who has mysteriously disappeared from the highway. From a helpful cop, a stoner classmate to a suspicious, attention-seeking neighbour… the suspects are varied. Will Vikram find the link between Preethi and Neha’s missing cases? Will he finally reveal the tragic secret he’s harbouring?
Watch HIT: The First Case to know….
What Do We Think:
The 1st half follows closely along the lines of the original and is decently engaging. But the 2nd half flounders and the ending just looks bizarre. The original ending made more sense in terms of character motivation.
Rajkummar is dependable as always but in a few of the trauma scenes, the emotion doesn’t feel very organic. Sanya doesn’t have the chance to show off her acting chops as she has limited screen time and character depth. There are a few loose ends which will hopefully be tied up properly in part 2!
Milind Gunaji carries that ‘is he shady or nah’ vibe quite well. Wish he had more screen time. Ditto for B.A. Pass actor Shilpa Shukla. HIT: The First Case spends time stacking the blocks up, only to pull out the rug from underneath at the last minute.
Special mention for Jubin Nautiyal’s Tinka song in the starting – it’s smooth, melancholic and absolutely repeat-worthy for those long, car rides.
Hit Or Miss:
It’s a decent watch, barring the cringy climax. If you haven’t watched the original, you can catch HIT: The First Case in theatres. If you have watched the original, then you can skip and wait for Adivi Sesh’s HIT: The 2nd Case instead.
