Hit: The First Case Review: Rajkummar Rao outdoes himself and delivers an intensely mature performance worth watching again and again

Hit-The First Case Movie Review Rating: 4/5

The 2020 Telugu film Hit: The First Case turned out to be a sleeper hit at the box office. Two years after its theatrical release, Bollywood has come up with its official remake with the same title. The remake stars Rajkummar Rao and Sanya Malhotra in lead roles. Since the original film impressed the audience and critics to no end, a lot of expectations are riding on its Hindi remake as well. But will the remake be able to meet those expectations or exceed them? Well, our BollywoodMDB reviewer has seen the film, and here is what he has to say about it.

STORY: An officer at the Homicide Intervention Team in Rajasthan, Vikram Rudraraju (Rajkummar Rao) is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When stress and trauma start to take a toll on his mental health, he decides to take a 3-month break from his job. As he goes away on the much-needed break, a girl named Preeti goes missing. Soon, his own wife Neha (Sanya Malhotra), also goes missing. Vikram has no other option but to cut short his holiday and report to work where he takes it upon himself to investigate the case and find the whereabouts of Preeti and Neha. What happens next forms the crux of the story.

HIGHS: Rajkummar Rao as Vikram Rudraraju is fantastic. He delivers a memorable performance yet again. The actor has played a cop before, but here his character is multi-layered and with a disturbing past. Rao, as always, does complete justice to his character and shines bright in every scene. There are some action scenes where he simply outdoes himself. His fans are going to love him even more after seeing his act in Hit: The First Case.

As far as Sanya Malhotra is concerned, she does not have much to offer. She tries to do well in whatever screen time she has been given and succeeds to some extent. We meet her at the beginning and the end. Malhotra is a fine actress who has delivered some memorable performances in the past. We are used to seeing her in well-fleshed-out characters. Alas, the character that she essays in Hit: The First Case does not justify her caliber as an actress.

Director Sailesh Kolanu, who directed the original, sticks to the original material but sets it in a different background. He mostly succeeds in giving the film a new, fresh feel. The way he builds up the suspense is appreciable. The film keeps you guessing till the very end and that is sort of a victory for any whodunit. Having said that, if you are a fan of crime thrillers and have watched hundreds of films in the said genre, you may guess the murderer way before Vikram nabs him.

LOWS: For those who have seen the original film might experience several dull moments while watching the remake. There are a few sequences that look hurried. Some audience members may find it hard to digest the motive of the murderer. Having said that, a new setting and taut screenplay along with fresh faces do add novelty to the film. There are a few questions that remain answered in the film. Don’t fret much as the makers are planning to reveal them in the sequel. The background score by John Stewart Eduris is good, but the same cannot be said about the overall music of the film. There are a few songs that are hummable but, at the same time, easily forgettable.

FINAL VERDICT: If you are planning to watch an edge-of-the-seat procedural drama, Hit: The First Case could be your perfect watch over the weekend. The film keeps you hooked to your seat till the very end and is powered by a brilliant performance from Rajkummar Rao who simply outdoes himself here. I am going with 4 stars.

Watch Hit-The First Case trailer:

MOVIE CREDITS

Banner: T-Series, Dil Raju Productions

Director: Sailesh Kolanu

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Sanya Malhotra, Shanu Kumar, Rohan Singh

Runtime: 136 Minutes