What’s it about?
Arjun Sarkaar (Nani), a tough and rough police officer working in Jammu & Kashmir, struggles with loneliness. His mother died when he was young, and his father was absent during his childhood. This emotional baggage has led to anger issues, for which he attends therapy sessions. Arjun captures two terrorists who had filmed their murders, and during the investigation, he and his team discover that the National Crime Database contains reports of 13 similar killings.
This trail leads him to Vizag, where he meets Mrudula (Srinidhi Shetty) and falls in love. But Arjun’s mission is far from over—he must uncover who is behind this mysterious gang and why they are uploading murder videos online. As he heads to Arunachal Pradesh to track them down, the task proves more dangerous than expected. Will Arjun unearth the real culprits, save innocent lives, and also win Mrudula’s heart?
Analysis
“HIT 3,” the third film in the HIT franchise, starts off much like its predecessors. But gradually, it shifts into a survival thriller, and soon transforms into a vengeful action drama filled with relentless fights and an endless spillage of bloodshed.
Inspired by recent web dramas and action films, director Sailesh Kolanu turns this installment into an action drama with survival-thriller elements, deviating from the investigative style he showcased in the earlier two parts.
“HIT 3” begins well, first establishing the protagonist’s character – his anger issues and working style. The narrative then moves into investigative mode, reminiscent of the previous installments. The journey from Kashmir to Vizag, then to Bihar and Rajasthan, feels grand in scale and remains engaging, setting up the reveal of a gang that captures, tortures, and kills people, uploading the videos online. So far, so good.
The chase sequence in Jaipur is particularly gripping. Also noteworthy is the charming meet-cute between Nani and Srinidhi Shetty’s character, which provides a backstory for why Nani’s character uses expletives and foul language. Overall, the first half is neatly done and stays true to the genre of investigative thriller.
However, post-interval, the film first takes a Squid Game-like turn and eventually morphs into a heavy-handed action drama soaked in bloodshed.
This portion, which feels overly long, suffers from the absence of a strong antagonist, and the hero’s mission lacks the emotional weight to make us root for him.
There’s a dialogue in the film: “People think I am class, but now they’ll see the real me (mass hero).” This line, along with the overall bloody action, clearly suggests that the film is an attempt to project Nani as a full-fledged action hero. In fact, the bloodshed here surpasses what we saw in Ranbir Kapoor’s “Animal.” Some moments are even more gruesome.
While the grand visuals and Nani’s trademark acting style, help immerse us in the proceedings, the story and screenplay lack originality. The film also ends by setting up “HIT 4,” informing us that a bilingual hero will take it forward.
Nani once again shoulders the film confidently. However, there’s a noticeable shift in his performance—this time, he plays to the gallery with a violent streak of heroism. Surprisingly, he also uses unfiltered cuss words, a rare move for him.
Srinidhi Shetty looks fine and fits the role well. Her character has a twist. The cameo by Adivi Sesh, who led HIT 2, feels forced. Komalee Prasad is okay in her role.
Among the technicians, Sanu John Varghese truly stands out. His cinematography is splendid and easily the film’s biggest highlight. Mickey J Meyer’s music serves the film’s needs but doesn’t leave a mark. The writing by Sailesh Kolanu lacks freshness, and the editing could have been sharper. The entire second half drags on
Bottom-line: “HIT 3” is more of an action thriller with lots of violence and bloodshed that offers some cinematic moments. But this one, beyond Nani’s star charisma and his acting, offers little new, and becomes more of a generic action thriller than an investigative drama. It also becomes quite routine after a point and excess bloodshed doesn’t work for all.
Rating: 2.75/5
By Jalapathy Gudelli
Movie: HIT 3
Cast: Nani, Srinidhi Shetty, Rao Ramesh, Karthi (Cameo), Adivi Sesh (Cameo), Ravindra Vijay others
Music: Mickey J Meyer
DOP: Sanu John Varghese
Editor: Karthika Srinivas R
Production Designer: Sri Nagendra Tangala
Story, screenplay, direction supervision: Sampath Nandi
Producer: Prashanti Tipirneni
Written and Directed by: Sailesh Kolanu
Release Date: May 01, 2025
