‘HIT 3’ movie review: Nani lifts a visually slick but uneven thriller

‘HIT 3’ movie review: Nani lifts a visually slick but uneven thriller. Directed by Sailesh Kolanu, the film stars Srinidhi Shetty

In a scene from HIT: The Third Case, a character describes Arjun Sarkaar’s (Nani) actions as “classy”. Arjun retorts that this time, he intends to show his true self — stepping away from the image of refinement often associated with him. In another moment, when someone warns him that he “cannot survive here”, he responds, “I’ve been hearing that since the beginning of my career.” These meta-cinematic lines feel less like commentary on the character and more like nods to the actor himself.

In HIT 3, director Sailesh Kolanu leans into fan service, casting Nani — long embraced by family audiences — in a darker, bloodier setup. The film carries an ‘A’ certificate, and Nani effectively sheds his man-next-door image to become a ruthless cop whose methods, unsurprisingly, come under scrutiny.

Departing from the slow-burn whodunit tone of the earlier films, this third instalment in the HIT universe trades mystery for carnage. It is not about who, how, or even why — the perpetrators are beyond reasoning. The real question is whether the film successfully marries crime thriller elements with full-throttle action to offer a gripping cinematic experience. Some segments land powerfully; others feel stretched or overly engineered.

Arjun Sarkaar replaces the level-headed Krishna Dev (Adivi Sesh) as SP of the fictional Homicide Intervention Team’s Visakhapatnam unit. His brutal reputation precedes him, and while he may appear to the outside world as a cop with a criminal streak, the film slowly peels back his layers.

Sailesh Kolanu balances Arjun’s tough-cop persona with a vulnerable personal side. While HIT 1 presented Vikram Rudraraju (Vishwak Sen) as a cop grappling with PTSD, HIT 3 positions Arjun as a man in the throes of a midlife crisis, with fluctuating blood pressure and a simmering sense of discontent. It is commendable that Nani portrays a character in his 40s, complete with greying hair, making a case for leading men embracing more mature roles.

A gentle humour underlines the early sections, particularly in the strained dynamic between Arjun and his father (Samuthirakani), and in his repeated failure to charm women he meets through dating apps.

The non-linear screenplay attempts to layer Arjun’s character with mystery, but viewers familiar with mainstream storytelling may piece together the larger arc early on. The narrative spans Kashmir, Arwal in Bihar, Jaipur, and Arunachal Pradesh — though the crimes could easily have occurred within the Telugu States. The geographical sprawl, however, raises the stakes of the HIT universe.