Movie Review
Cinematographer Sailesh Kolanu's HIT: The First Case has mystery, action and plenty of thrills.
Vikram Jaisingh (Rajkummar Rao), a 32-year-old cop, struggles with PTSD. Despite his traumatic past, he is not ready to quit his stressful job at the Homicide Intervention Team (HIT). He is one of the sharpest cops and he knows it. He meets Neha (Sanya Malhotra), a forensic expert. And while she's tried her best to be open to him, her past is still something she's not comfortable talking about.
After being told that if he doesn't take a break, he could be issued with an invalid license, he heads to his hometown for a vacation.
But things take a turn when Neha mysteriously goes missing. In another case, a girl named Preeti also goes missing in Rajasthan. Vikram returns to Rajasthan and after some digging, he concludes that the two patterns are somewhat related.
How the case becomes personal to him and how he solves the mystery of two missing girls while battling his own demons from the past forms the crux of the story.
The film is more or less a one-man show and Rajkummar does not disappoint. Like Vikram, Rajkummar is spot on! The actor's expressions and actions reveal as much as they hide. His intense acting is impressive - not just while investigating, but also when pieces of his reluctant romance with Neha appear on screen. Rajkummar knows when to hold back and delivers a memorable performance with restraint.
Sanya's Neha doesn't have much to do, but she does her best to elevate her character. There is also Akhil Iyer essaying the role
What works for the crime drama is its many twists and turns. It keeps you guessing until the end. However, the film is not without flaws. Some scenes make you question the why and how of the film. Some actors are just there for that, and it would be nicer if their characters were fleshed out.
To the makers' credit, Vikram's trauma is built well enough to make you understand how he might feel at any given point. From his panic attacks to blacking out from looking at any kind of fire, to suspecting that his suspects will escape if he stays out of sight a little longer - even the tiniest details are revealed without words. The creators do not reveal what the past trauma is until the end. With only flashbacks from his memories, one gets a sense of what's going on, but it's never confirmed until it's revealed on screen.
Both cinematography and editing serve the film well and help lift it. The background music of the film is loud but works in parts like in the film. The makers intend to make it a franchise and it is hinted at in the last scene of the film. Overall, the movie is definitely worth watching.
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