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Hit: The Third Case

Actors: Nani, Srinidhi Shetty, Samudrakhani, Rao Ramesh, Komali Prasad, and others

Music: Mickey J Meyer

Cinematography: Sanu Varghese

Producer: Prashanthi Tipirneni

Written-Directed by: Shailesh Kolanu

Telugu cinema’s crime thriller wave found its identity with the ‘HIT’ franchise, and now director Shailesh Kolanu is back, not just continuing the saga but reshaping it with ‘HIT-3’. After Vishwaksen and Adivi Sesh led the first two films, this time it's producer Nani who stepped into the investigating cop's shoes. With sleek promos and solid buzz, the film hits theatres today (May 1st) and the question remains: Does ‘HIT-3’ raise the bar or just follow the trail?

Story: Arjun Sarkar is a bold and brutal SP in the Homicide Intervention Team (HIT), known for his short temper and sharper sense of justice. He’s the kind of cop who doesn’t stop until the threat is wiped out. But an unusual case lands on his desk, whose trail leads him to Kashmir and drags him into a series of twists, personal losses, and the arising moral conflict. And in a shocking turn, Arjun commits a crime himself to catch the criminals, thereby landing behind bars. What was this case that changed everything? How far did Arjun push himself in search of the truth, and what happens next? That’s where the story takes its bold turns.

Analysis: Crime thrillers were once a rare story in Telugu cinema, but director Sailesh Kolanu changed that by creating the superhit ‘HIT’ franchise. With ‘HIT-1’ and ‘HIT-2’, he delivered tight investigative dramas that stunned audiences with unpredictable twists and layered storytelling. The arrival of Nani in the third installment naturally raised expectations, as adding star power to intriguing stories always does.

In ‘HIT-3’, Nani’s entry turns out to be both the strength and as well as the weakness. His character, Arjun Sarkar, dominates the film in a way that overshadows the whole plot. Sailesh wrote the role with intensity, and Nani delivered it with controlled rage and raw presence. Right from the opening, with dialogues like “Criminals should be either in a 10ft cell above the ground or in a 6ft pit below the ground,” the film makes it clear who the hero is. The performance is powerful, and Nani completely owns the screen, but the narrative begins to be quite normal around him rather than unfolding organically.

Unlike the earlier parts, where the story was the true hero, this time the crime angle lacks the same gripping dynamics. The setup of serial murders across the country begins intriguingly but doesn’t sustain the momentum. Once the motive is revealed, the suspense fizzles out. The villain feels underwritten, and the investigation lacks the tight structure that dominated the first two films. Even though the Kashmir backdrop adds some freshness visually, the emotional and investigative core doesn’t land with enough weight.

A major confrontation involving the hero entering a stronghold of 150 dangerous criminals should have been explosive, but without well-crafted action sequences, it plays out rather plainly. The hero breezes through challenges with more violence than smart writing, making the action feel heavy and the thrill-factor missing out. The climax also falls flat, and cameos by Adivi Sesh and Karthi are surprising, but doesn't bring the needed surprise or excitement.

In the end, ‘HIT-3’ is carried almost entirely on Nani’s shoulders with an amazing screen presence. His performance, body language, and dialogue delivery elevate the film, but the lack of a strong villain, gripping crime angle, and tight screenplay spoiled the play. Sailesh succeeds in presenting a massy version of Arjun Sarkar, but somewhere along the way, the franchise’s original strength, the intriguing story, loses its focus.

Performances: Nani continues to prove there’s hardly a role he can’t transform into. After delivering a fierce and rustic performance in 'Dasara', he now steps into a space that demands class and aggression in equal measure. Playing Arjun Sarkar, Nani hasn't wasted time to pull the audience into the story. His command over the character is solid, and it is his screen presence that pushes the film forward when the script occasionally takes a backseat. The level of heroism he brings here rivals even what is expected from mainstream mass heroes.

KGF fame Srinidhi Shetty, playing the female lead, doesn’t get much screen time. Her character begins on a simple note but has a small shift later. While she looks decent in the part, there isn’t much scope given to her beyond being a functional part of the story. Her presence is passable, but not memorable.

On the antagonist front, the Bollywood actor cast in the villain’s role doesn’t bring the needed intensity. The role itself lacks weight, and his performance ends up being forgettable. Telugu actress Komalee Prasad, on the other hand, makes her limited role count with a decent act. Familiar faces like Rao Ramesh and Samuthirakani are present in fairly routine roles and don’t have much to elevate. Their inclusion adds familiarity but lacks surprise.

Technicians: Mickey J. Meyer’s music doesn’t quite live up to the spark that his previous tracks brought to the table. While the songs aren’t central to the story, they don't excite the audience like his previous chartbusters. However, the background score does its job well, adding intensity that complements the film’s tone. It fits perfectly within the darker, more serious framework of the story.

Sanu Varghese’s cinematography complements right as the visuals are stunning throughout, capturing the rich landscapes, especially the Kashmir backdrop, with finesse. The production values are top-notch, as the grand scale and attention to detail in the visuals enhance the overall experience.

Writer-director Sailesh Kolanu continues to solidify his place in the ‘HIT’ zone after ‘Saindhav’. He has a firm grip on his craft, utilizing Nani to the fullest and keeping the audience engaged in Arjun Sarkar’s world. However, the central element, the ‘case’ this time doesn’t create the level of intrigue the franchise is known for. The crime element lacks the intensity seen in previous films, along with the twists that kept the audience on the edge of their seats earlier. However, Sailesh kept audiences glued to their seats for two and a half hours. Had more attention been paid to the crime element, 'HIT-3' could have been a truly next-level thriller.

Verdict: HIT-3.. Nani's fierce avatar is a hit!

Rating: 2.75/5