HIT: The First Case

HIT: The First Case is a 2020 Indian Telugu-language crime thriller written and directed by newcomer Sailesh Kolanu and produced by Wall Poster Cinema. It stars Vishwak Sen and Ruhani Sharma. It is the first film in the HIT series, which grew into the HIT Universe. It was released on 28 February 2020 to positive reviews and was a commercial success.

Story

Vikram Rudraraju is a sharp officer in Telangana’s Homicide Intervention Team (HIT), a branch of the CID. He suffers from post-traumatic stress and hides his painful past from his girlfriend Neha, a forensic investigator. While he is on leave to recover, a college student named Preethi goes missing after her car breaks down on the Outer Ring Road, and Vikram is drawn into the investigation.

Production

The film was launched with a pooja on 24 October 2019. It was produced by Nani and Prashanti Tipirneni under Wall Poster Cinema, their second film after Awe. The title is an acronym for Homicide Intervention Team, and a teaser was released on 1 January 2020.

Music and release

Vivek Sagar composed the songs, and the singles “Poraatame” and “Ventaade Gaayam” came out just before the release. The film opened on 28 February 2020 and began streaming on Amazon Prime Video on 1 April 2020, with the satellite rights going to Gemini TV.

Reception

Critics were positive. The Hindu praised the screenplay and performances, and Deccan Chronicle singled out Vishwak Sen’s performance and Vivek Sagar’s background score. India Today called it a brilliant investigative thriller. Firstpost and Film Companion praised its sophistication but felt the ending faltered.

Remake and sequels

Kolanu directed a Hindi remake of the same name in 2022, starring Rajkummar Rao and Sanya Malhotra. Nani announced a sequel in March 2021. HIT: The Second Case starred Adivi Sesh as an Andhra Pradesh HIT officer and was released on 2 December 2022. HIT: The Third Case, with Nani in the lead, followed on 1 May 2025.

Sources: Wikipedia and Wikidata.