By Nicolas Ayala

In a cinematic universe that began with visceral restraint and methodical precision, HIT: The Third Case explodes onto the screen with a crimson-soaked intensity that’s as bold as it is divisive. Director Sailesh Kolanu, continuing his mastery over the Telugu HIT franchise, hands the baton to Nani, who sheds his boy-next-door charisma for a role that’s abrasive, unhinged, and shockingly violent. While the film stumbles in places, especially in its screenplay and character development, it’s Nani’s raw, relentless performance that keeps the wheel turning in this blood-soaked crime thriller.

How Nani’s Arjun Sarkaar Breaks Free From The Heroic Mold

For years, Nani has been the poster child for naturalistic acting in Telugu cinema, often playing charming everymen who win hearts with a smile. HIT 3 flips that image on its head. As Arjun Sarkaar, the Superintendent of Police for the Homicide Intervention Team in Vizag, Nani dives into a persona that’s volatile, grim, and borderline psychotic. He yells, he curses, he kills — and does so with a strange kind of flair. Arjun isn’t meant to be likable. In fact, he’s the kind of character that makes you wince when he attempts to date, and yet, you can’t look away from his spiraling descent into a personal vendetta.

There’s a certain genius in how Kolanu scripts Arjun’s emotional volatility. Whether it’s dislocating an arm in a fight or calming a vulture to fetch a clue (yes, he tames vultures), Arjun’s unpredictable nature keeps the audience on edge. Nani embraces this chaos, giving a performance that oscillates between grim determination and unrestrained fury. It’s a role that lets him break free from the ‘natural star’ box he’s been stuck in and experiment with shades of grit and gore.

When The Investigation Turns Into A Gore-Laden Blood Fest

The plot kicks off with Arjun in police custody, narrating the chain of events that led to his arrest. What begins as a classic HIT-style investigation into a series of 13 identical murders across India soon spirals into a hunt for a shadowy syndicate called CTK — a dark web group orchestrating snuff films for a perverse audience. If the mention of dark web and snuff films makes you think of Hostel or Squid Game, you’re not far off. HIT 3 treads familiar but twisted ground, transforming its smart crime-thriller DNA into something more dystopian and visceral.

The director’s commentary on society’s bloodlust—how we crave violent content even as we condemn it—is buried beneath layers of literal bloodshed. And yet, it’s hard not to admire the boldness. When even Arjun, who’s hardly a moral compass, is shocked by the depravity he uncovers, you know the film has pushed its envelope. The sequences involving CTK are surreal, stylized, and drenched in red, evoking a Telugu take on Squid Game meets Se7en. It’s over the top, but it rarely falls flat when it comes to atmosphere and intensity.

Missed Opportunities In Character Development And Plot Twists

For all its visual and emotional punch, HIT 3 falters in how it handles some of its key characters. Srinidhi Shetty’s Mrudula enters the story with a mysterious aura, hinting at hidden depths, but her arc fizzles into predictability. The supposed twist about her character lands with a thud, and her later actions feel more irritating than intriguing. The love story between her and Arjun never quite clicks, feeling more like a detour than a subplot.

Then there’s the antagonist—referred to as Alpha—who sadly slips into caricature territory. Instead of being a chilling mastermind, he ends up sounding like a meme of villainy, delivering monologues that ask more eye-rolls than introspection. Key plot developments, like how Mrudula conveniently tracks Arjun’s location, or the hurried introduction of a crucial character in the climax, undermine what could have been a tighter, more impactful narrative.

Fan Service, Franchise Building, And Glimpses Of Brilliance

Despite its flaws, HIT 3 knows when to play its cards right. The mid-chaos return of familiar faces from the previous films — including a certain canine investigator — creates some genuinely cool, whistle-worthy moments. The chemistry between the old and new HIT team members feels organic and adds layers to the universe Kolanu is building. These moments, along with the sharp cinematography by Sanu John Varghese, punctuate the film with style and substance.

The soundtrack by Mickey J Meyer may not leave a lasting mark, but the background score fuels the tension effectively. The editing, however, struggles with pacing, especially in the lengthy second half, where action sequences start to resemble a Telugu remix of Korean thrillers. Still, the film sticks the landing in one crucial area — setting up HIT 4 with a superstar cameo that promises to shake up the franchise even further.

HIT 3 May Not Be The Sharpest Thriller, But It’s A Bold Step For The Franchise

HIT: The Third Case isn’t the tightly-woven investigative gem that the first two films were. It’s messier, bloodier, and sometimes illogical. But it’s also more ambitious in its tone and presentation. Sailesh Kolanu dares to blend Telugu mass action with psychosexual thriller elements, and while the mix isn’t always smooth, it’s never boring. Nani’s performance grounds the film, giving it a soul amid the carnage.

For fans of the HIT series, this third installment may feel like a detour — one that trades subtlety for spectacle. But it’s a detour that craves attention and dares to play in darker waters. Whether you see it as a creative risk or an overindulgence, HIT 3 leaves you bleeding and wondering what the next case will look like when it comes to a head with HIT 4.