HIT 3, the latest installment in the Telugu crime thriller franchise, swings for the fences with larger scale, more violence, and a superstar turn from Nani. But in doing so, it drifts away from the tightly wound, character-driven mysteries that made the first two films cult hits among genre fans. While not without its moments of brilliance, HIT 3 feels like a stylistic experiment that sometimes loses its core in the carnage.
The plot sets up a high-stakes manhunt with a twist of serialized murder and online terror
Director Sailesh Kolanu, who returns behind the camera, passes the torch to Nani in the lead role of Arjun Sarkaar — a cop whose grit and aggression anchor the film. The story kicks off with Arjun in jail, narrating how he ended up there. What follows is a nonlinear, globe-trotting chase across India as Arjun investigates 13 identical murders linked to a sinister website called CTK.
What begins as a calculated terrorist takedown in Jammu and Kashmir spirals into a deeper conspiracy involving a mysterious game-like group orchestrating killings across the nation. The premise is punchy, and the initial setup in the prison has a Se7en-meets-Prison Break vibe that promises psychological intensity. Instead, the narrative soon morphs into an action-heavy, gore-drenched spectacle aiming to position Nani as a full-fledged mass hero.
Nani’s performance embraces a new ‘mass’ persona with grit, gore, and gusto
For fans of Nani’s earlier, more nuanced work, HIT 3 offers a stark contrast. The actor, known for his naturalistic flair, now dives headfirst into a more aggressive, stylized persona. He delivers punch dialogues, indulges in expletives, and gets soaked in blood—literally—in the final act. It’s a conscious shift, and while it may not align with everyone’s taste, Nani pulls it off with conviction.
His Arjun Sarkaar is flawed, fiery, and a bit formulaic, but still commands screen presence. The emotional beats, especially his strained relationship with his father (played by Samuthirakani in a brief cameo), feel a little rushed but serve their purpose in humanizing an otherwise hyper-masculine character.
Supporting cast and cameos add flavor but rarely break new ground
Srinidhi Shetty, as the female lead, gets a few action moments but remains underutilized in a role that never quite escapes the sidelines. Komalee Prasad as a police officer delivers a competent performance, and Rao Ramesh fills his role adequately. Adivi Sesh’s cameo is brief and more fan-service than plot-essential, while Karthi’s tease towards HIT 4 feels more like a stinger than a game-changer.
The antagonist, unfortunately, falls into familiar tropes — more caricature than catalyst. His leadership of the CTK group, which borrows heavily from Squid Game-style aesthetics, feels derivative and lacks the intellectual punch to match the film’s ambitious setup.
Technical elements shine — until the editing and pacing drag the momentum down
Sanu John Varghese’s cinematography is undoubtedly one of the film’s strongest suits. He masterfully frames the violence and mood, making even the bloodiest sequences visually compelling. The production design and overall production values match the scale of the storytelling, creating a believable yet stylized world for Arjun to operate in.
However, the editing by Karthika Srinivas fails to keep pace with the film’s ambitions. Several sequences overstay their welcome, and the second half drags into a loop of repetitive action and gore. The songs by Mickey J Meyer feel misplaced, adding little to the narrative flow, though the background score does an effective job of heightening tension when needed.
Excessive violence overshadows the sharpness of earlier installments
Where HIT 3 most clearly diverges from its predecessors is in tone. The first two films were praised for their smart, suspenseful storytelling and grounded characters. This third chapter trades subtlety for spectacle. It borrows from Korean thrillers and Hollywood action tropes, but never quite innovates on them. The result is a film that is often more loud than clever.
The gore is relentless. By the climax, the film seems more interested in shocking with bloodiness than surprising with plot twists. The CTK motivation, when finally revealed, feels recycled and uninspired — echoing Kolanu’s previous work rather than breaking new ground.
HIT 3 is a bold, if flawed, evolution of the franchise that may polarize fans
In the end, HIT 3 is a film about transformation — both for its lead character and the franchise itself. It dares to push Nani into a hypermasculine, ultra-violent role and stretches the investigative thriller into action-drama territory. It’s a gamble that works in bursts but rarely sustains itself.
For viewers looking for sharp detective work and tight storytelling, this may feel like a step back. But for those willing to embrace stylized violence and a protagonist who’s more beast than detective, HIT 3 offers enough adrenaline to keep the heart pumping.
It's not the precise thriller that HIT once was, but it's still a thrilling, if messy, ride — one that teases bigger things to come with HIT 4 on the horizon.