HIT The First Case is another Hindi remake of a South Indian movie. Remakes are tricky. They can either be a super-hit or run down. Sanya Malhotra and Rajkumar Rao, both great actors, have given their best shot yet the movie could be better.
Directed by Dr. Sailesh Kolanu, who is also the maker of the original movie, the plot revolves around the protagonist Vikram, who is a police officer. He is caught up in solving a kidnapping case and struggling with battling his traumas from the past. When Neha, his girlfriend goes missing, Vikrant realises there is a lot of deceit, lies and more than what meets the eye. He struggles deeply with his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and I am glad that movies today are touching upon the delicate issue of mental health.
The movie is engrossing in its first half but in the second half the grip is lost. There is not much to keep you glued to the screen and the hope that it might be a nail-biting Sherlock Holmes story is lost on the audience. We have seen it, we can predict it and what’s not predictable is irrelevant. The climax deserved more nuance and attention.
What works for the movie is that it is a simple thriller story. The plot is not mind-blowing but the way the movie is directed, it deserves to be appreciated. There is action, entertainment yet social issues such as safety of women have been dealt with. Yet, some of the glitches in the plot, make the audience lose their suspense. Rajkumar Rao, is the pivot of the movie, so watch it for his stellar performance.
