I watched HIT 3: The Third Case this morning, May 1, 2025, in a full house theater in Hyderabad. To be honest, I had high expectations for this movie. I have been waiting for this third installment of Shailesh Kolanu’s HIT series since I saw the trailer that Nani is going to be seen as a rugged, ruthless cop. But after watching the movie, I had mixed feelings. Some scenes were really heart-pounding, but overall it could not give the same impact as HIT 1 or HIT 2. Let’s take a look at it in detail.
What is the story?
The story of HIT 3 revolves around SP Arjun Sarkar (Nani) of the Homicide Intervention Team (HIT) in Visakhapatnam. Arjun is a fierce, straight-forward cop who is sent to solve a brutal murder case in Jammu and Kashmir. The film starts with a flashback where Arjun is seen as a rough and tough cop, but dedicated to his duty. As the case goes deeper, it takes him to Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh, some dark secrets are revealed, and he and his team are put in danger. Along with this main plot, there is a small romantic track with Mridula (Srinidhi Shetty), as well as some cameos that connect the HIT universe. The film ends with a bloody climax, and a tease for HIT 4 that left me thinking.
How did I feel?
First, let me tell you what I liked: Nani is in beast mode in this film. As Arjun Sarkar, he walks with full energy, swag, swears, and hustles in action scenes—he seemed born for this role. There was a scene in the second half—the dialogue where he says “You’re free”—that gave me chills. His body language, anger, intensity—I have never seen a performance like this from Nani before. The second half totally elevates that intensity, with a Squid Game style survival game—filled with blood, gore, and high-stakes action. There is a 50-minute sequence in a single location—murder games, death traps, Nani in full rampage mode—really had everyone in the theater on the edge of their seats.
I also liked the visuals. Sanu John Varghese's cinematography captures the beauty of Jammu and Kashmir beautifully. The moody shots, the dark tone—it's the perfect setting for this thriller. The action scenes are super brutal, especially the pre-climax fight scene—I got goosebumps watching Nani engage in a bloody fistfight with a gang of killers. Even though the movie is 2 hours and 36 minutes long, it doesn't feel sluggish when it's in full swing, especially in the second half.
But there are a few things I didn't like. The first half was good, but it felt too slow and predictable. I was waiting for a shocking twist or some gripping moment, but it didn't come until the pre-interval. Shailesh Kolanu has written the screenplay, but it felt uneven at times. He focused more on elevating Nani's character and giving the fans thrills (which worked), but the storytelling took a backseat. There was no depth to the investigation—they focused more on the "how" than the "whodunit" like the first two HIT films, but they couldn't show that "how" in an interesting way.
The villain also disappointed me. I was expecting a villain to match Arjun's energy and brutality in such a brutal, intense film, but the killer and his gang felt kind of empty. There was no real threat or complexity in them, which made Arjun's wins seem a bit easy. The soft romantic track also didn't impress me much—it was very surface-level, just forced to have a love interest.
Mickey J. The background score by Mayor seemed okay. It worked well in the second half, especially in the action scenes, but the first half felt forgettable—I felt like more could have been done to build the tension. Karthika Srinivas’ editing could have been a bit tight—the romantic scenes, if they had cut 15 minutes from a long action block, the film would have been sharper.
But one thing I liked—the film didn’t back down on its violence. There was a lot of blood, gore, and raw brutality, as befits an ‘A’ certificate. It didn’t feel over the top, it was right for Arjun’s character and the tone of the film. I understand the reason behind Nani telling the kids to stay away—this is definitely not a family film!
How did the actors do?
Nani is the total highlight of this film. He is in full mass mode, pouring all his energy into this role. He is scolding criminals, getting into fights—he looks very interesting. But the script doesn't seem to give him emotional depth—Arjun is badass, but we still want to see what is behind his anger.
Srinidhi Shetty, soft, is used very little. She has a chance in a few scenes, but her character feels more like a plot device than a real person. The supporting cast is better—Rao Ramesh brings some seriousness as the HIT team head, but he doesn't have much scope. Samudrakhani gives relief with some funny scenes as Arjun's father. Two more cameos—Aadivi Sesh, a young Bollywood actor making his Tollywood debut—were applauded in the theatres. They connect the HIT universe and set up for HIT 4—I’m already excited.
Finally
HIT 3 is creating a lot of talk. It has crossed $800,000 in North American premieres, pre-sales in the USA have reached $500K, and 88,000 tickets have been sold on BookMyShow in India. Fans are calling it a “fantastic suspense thriller” and Nani’s “best performance,” but some have commented that it is “predictable” and “illogical.” For me, it is somewhere in between. When the film worked, it really thrilled me—Nani, the second half was intense, the visuals were great. But the weak villain, slow first half, and uneven screenplay keep it from being perfect.
In my opinion, HIT 3 is the third installment in the franchise, after HIT 1 and HIT 2. If you're a Nani fan or like hardcore action thrillers, it's a good one-time watch, but go with low expectations. It's full of grit, but lacks the grip that a great thriller should have. Still, I'm looking forward to HIT 4—those cameos hooked me.
Rating: 3/5
HIT 3 was a bloody, intense thriller that showcased Nani at his best, but was let down a bit by the weak villain and slow first half. A decent addition to the HIT franchise, but not the best.