Hit 2 review: Adivi Sesh scores big yet again in his comfort zone with a taut thriller

3/5

Story:

Krishna Dev a.k.a KD is a suave cop who takes his profession seriously and often underestimates the intelligence of criminals. He’s in a relationship with a boutique owner Aarya, who also works with a women welfare organisation. However, when KD investigates the death of Sanjana, a small-time worker at a bar, who’s ruthlessly chopped into pieces, he faces the biggest conflict in his career while the criminal outsmarts him at every step. Will KD find answers? What’s the price that he has to pay?

Review:

An actor must always be aware of his boundaries - his strengths, his limitations, the barriers he can scale past and that he can’t. Adivi Sesh’s success story is an excellent example of how an aware actor when making smart choices, can carve his niche and progress with every project. If Sesh’s Major felt like a deviation from his path, Hit 2 is home territory for him, minus the messaging and he does what he’s best at - letting the story take the centre stage.

Adivi Sesh is at ease being the face of a taut thriller, surrendering to the vision of a capable storyteller like Sailesh Kolanu. The best thing that the actor does is to trust the director with his job. His cop character KD is quite confident of himself, revels in being sarcastic and yet means business at work. Beneath his unmistakable charm, he’s synonymous with integrity. Sailesh doesn’t waste much time in establishing these details and even summarises his love life with Aarya in a crisp song sequence.

In a done-to-death genre like thrillers, more so in the post-OTT era, it takes skilled storytelling to sustain a viewer’s interest and not rely on cheap gimmicks, even if it’s a compact two-hour narrative. Hit 2, of course, has all the staple ingredients of the genre - a backstory establishing the motive behind the crime, drama, twists and a satisfying finale. Sailesh thrills you but most importantly also wants you to digest its ambience, soak in its world without unnecessary exaggeration.

The true hero of Hit 2 is its sharp writing. Key traits of all the pivotal characters are established on a restrained level and Sailesh plays with the minds of the viewer all along. There’s more to the film beyond the whodunit aspect or the twists. KD bears the burden of guilt and conflicts with his superiors and there’s a personality to him beyond being another cop who’s trying to find a killer. Even with the criminal, Sailesh draws a fine line between showcasing his personality and glorifying his crime.

Beyond the broad strokes, Hit 2 gets its little details right and that’s why you know the film is in safe hands. The crucial backstory at the inception plays on your mind constantly. The sleepy, scenic backdrops of Vizag offer a stark contrast to the dark world that Hit 2 digs deep into. The verbal banter between KD and the psychopath is precise and impactful. If S Manikandan’s cinematography builds the mystery well, the production designer Manisha A Dutt constructs the character details in its atmosphere with tact.

While Sailesh Kolanu’s approach to his stories deserves praise, Hit 2 makes it all the more evident that he needs to work on his ability to make his female protagonists more integral to his plots. He has an eye for gender inclusivity in the ambience, but he could do slightly better in writing well-rounded female characters that contribute more to the story and not let men be the saviours all the time.

All said and done, Hit 2 is a massive improvement over its predecessor and it doesn’t get overwhelmed by Adivi Sesh’s presence. Adivi Sesh’s previous thrillers Kshanam, Yevaru and Goodachari (that he had co-written) are fantastic films, yes, but were overwrought at times. Hit 2 is a step ahead in that direction because it gives the time for the viewer to process its characters and does not burden you with too many twists/details.

Sesh is in prime form being the heartbeat of this universe and never tries to rise above the story. Meenakshii Chaudhary makes her mark in a brief yet well-written part. Komalee Prasad is impressive as Sesh’s ignored on-screen counterpart at work. Suhas yet again proves his versatility in a multi-layered role with the supporting cast Rao Ramesh, Maganti Srinath and Harshavardhan chipping in with their assured performances.

MM Sreelekha and Suresh Bobbili’s songs work but John Stewart Eduri’s score is the film’s lifeline. The lead-up to Hit 3 in the climax brings liveliness to the proceedings. Most importantly beyond being a new instalment to a franchise, Hit 2 still works as a standalone film.

Verdict:

Hit 2 is a paisa-vasool thriller and an out-and-out Adivi Sesh show. Sailesh Kolanu pens an impressive script and executes it even better, extracting good performances and contributions from his cast and crew. Make time for this one!