HIT: The First Case review: The Rajkummar Rao starrer is a slow-burner whodunnit with a preachy setup

3/5

A 32-year-old police officer of Rajasthan's Homicide Intervention Team (HIT) who is currently struggling with his own horrific history is Vikram Jaisingh (Rajkummar Rao). When Preeti, an 18-year-old girl, unexpectedly vanishes on the Jaipur ring road, Vikram realises that the case has a personal link; mayhem breaks out, and he is forced to intervene and find the girl.

We are living in the era of remakes in Bollywood where most of them are adapted from recently released films. HIT: The First Case is another prime example, which is the official Hindi adaptation of the Telugu film of the same name. Many times, the same filmmakers helm the remakes and make a few course corrections in their adapted screenplay. HIT, which stars Rajkummar Rao and Sanya Malhotra in the lead roles, is also helmed by Dr. Sailesh Kollanu, who directed the 2020 film.

I had not seen the original film, which piqued my interest in the remake from the start. The whodunnit genre can never be called done and dusted, and when homicide is concerned, you know it's not always a serial killer on the prowl. After a disturbing and weird Forensic, which is also the Hindi remake of the Malayalam film of the same name, HIT is a natural delight to a large extent.

Firstly, the film will leave you intrigued as it goes back and forth to the past and present lives of Vikram (Rajkummar Rao), who is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He is very smart and figures out a case with the minutest details, which are often missed by many. However, seeing mortal remains or fire leaves him traumatised due to an incident in the past.

PTSD plays well throughout the film and is a major part of the screenplay as well. The film takes a very simplistic approach to solving the crime by not going over the top by involving obnoxious technology. They frequently mention that they follow the rules by the book, which they do.

Rajkummar, who is headlining the film brilliantly, shows his emotions and his vulnerable side beautifully. The talented actor, yes, hands down, he is, adds a lot to this film, making it a taut watch without any loose ends.

Kollanu, whose brainchild is HIT, literally treats it like a baby, and, of course, with a few course corrections, he does with the screenplay from the original film. However, the angle with which he changed the climax makes the plot a lot more predictable, and not because of the storyline but of the execution.

While keeping up with the trend of the current popular culture of acceptance of a lot of things, the screenplay in the Hindi version has been altered.

There are a lot of moments where Rao, as a staunch feminist, believes in equal treatment of men and women, literally. So be it, a third-degree treatment administered to a female suspect.

The tonality of the film is very linear, and you don't get a lot of weird plot twists, the way whodunit films are made nowadays. The pace with which the film follows makes for an amazing first half and also the second half, barring the third act.

At the end, there's suspense about why it happened, but you might get an idea of the reason if you are too much into this genre of movie. The predictable part of the film is equally intriguing and will leave you hooked on it, but it's also a little weak.

Rajkummar Rao is fantastic as Vikram, who is a strict cop with a dark past. The actor makes his character very believable with his simplistic yet powerful approach in every scene. However, the romantic sequences between Sanya Malhotra and him are too much with the add-on of a song. But his solo sequences of just being in those tight frames are delectable and will not let you blink your eyes for once.

I wish songs were truly avoided in such movies or just minimised to just a couple of them. It takes away from the narrative of the films of this genre.

Talking about Sanya Malhotra, the actor is hardly present in the film and appears just like Facebook memories with a lot of photos and videos. Her presence is felt only by the words, but that's not how it feels when she makes an entry in the film.

Meanwhile, S. Manikandan's beautiful cinematography gives a tour of Rajasthan with wide and tarred roads as well as the nooks and corners, which are picture-perfect frames for the narrative. The cinematography has added value to the screenplay amazingly.

HIT: The First Case will take you on a safe trip until the very end without any loose ends. However, the reason might be slightly disappointing as that's done and dusted.

Verdict:

HIT: The First Case is an intriguing and taut watch. It will keep you looking for answers until the very end, but the answers might not leave you impressed.