# HIT: The First Case (2022 film)
**HIT: The First Case** is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller directed by Sailesh Kolanu, a remake of his own 2020 Telugu film of the same name, starring [Rajkummar Rao](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajkummar-rao) as a troubled police detective investigating the disappearance of a young woman.[1](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/hit-the-first-case-to-stream-on-netflix-from-aug-28-8106500/) It was produced by [Bhushan Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/bhushan-kumar), Dil Raju, Krishan Kumar, and Kuldeep Rathore under T-Series Films and Dil Raju Productions, released in Indian theaters on July 15, 2022, and began streaming on Netflix on August 28, 2022.[1](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/hit-the-first-case-to-stream-on-netflix-from-aug-28-8106500/) • [2](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/rajkummar-rao-sanya-malhotra-starrer-hit-the-first-case-wraps-production-7874736/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director | Sailesh Kolanu, who also wrote and directed the 2020 Telugu original[1](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/hit-the-first-case-to-stream-on-netflix-from-aug-28-8106500/) |
| Lead cast | Rajkummar Rao as Vikram, Sanya Malhotra as Neha, with Dalip Tahil, Milind Gunaji, and Shilpa Shukla[2](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/rajkummar-rao-sanya-malhotra-starrer-hit-the-first-case-wraps-production-7874736/) • [3](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/hit-the-first-case) |
| Release | Theatrical release July 15, 2022; Netflix from August 28, 2022[1](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/hit-the-first-case-to-stream-on-netflix-from-aug-28-8106500/) |
| Runtime | 2h 15m (Rotten Tomatoes); 133 minutes per the BBFC classification[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hit_the_first_case) • [5](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/hit-the-first-case-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmda3mjex) |
| Premise | A Homicide Intervention Team (HIT) officer in Rajasthan investigates the disappearance of an 18-year-old girl on the Jaipur ring road[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hit_the_first_case) |
| Reception | 50% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (10 reviews) and 56% on the Popcornmeter; IMDb rating 6.8[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hit_the_first_case) • [3](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/hit-the-first-case) |
| Franchise | The Telugu HIT franchise continued with HIT: The Second Case (2022), and the Hindi film ends with the announcement of a sequel[6](https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/lifestyle/film-review-hit-the-first-case-follows-the-beats-of-the-telugu-original-but-suffers-on-account-of-its-hazy-chronology-and-ludicrous-ending/cid/1874919) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Vikram Jaisingh, a 32-year-old police officer in the Homicide Intervention Team (HIT) of [Rajasthan](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajasthan), is battling a traumatic past. Advised by well-wishers and his girlfriend to take a sabbatical, he is drawn back into duty when an 18-year-old girl named Preethi goes mysteriously missing on the ring road of Jaipur. Vikram realizes the case has a personal connection and steps in to find her, despite the investigation inducing panic attacks and anxiety at every stage.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hit_the_first_case)
The investigation proceeds through suspects including a helpful cop who offered Preethi a ride, a classmate, and a college official, and Vikram eventually concludes that Preethi's disappearance is connected to the later disappearance of his own fiancée, Neha.[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13130760/plotsummary/) Netflix's synopsis describes a troubled but brilliant detective solving two confounding abduction cases, one involving his own girlfriend.[8](https://www.netflix.com/in/title/81436989)
### Franchise context
The film ends with the announcement of a sequel, and NDTV's review noted that a Hindi-language HIT: The Second Case was on the way.[11](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/hit-the-first-case-review-hindi-remake-of-telugu-never-become-the-taut-police-drama-it-wants-to-be-2-stars-3160240/amp/1) The Telugu franchise continued with *HIT: The Second Case* (2022), starring [Adivi Sesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/adivi-sesh), which tells a new case rather than continuing the first film's story, and later with *HIT: The Third Case* (2025).[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/rajkummar-rao-and-sanya-malhotra-starrer-hit-the-first-case-goes-on-floors/articleshow/86135174.cms) • [17](https://pynr.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/27-VJA-12-PAGES-PDF.compressed.pdf)
## Production
The film went on floors in September 2021, with Telugu producer [Dil Raju](https://www.edgepedia.org/dil-raju), who had bought the remake rights, producing the Hindi version alongside T-Series.[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/rajkummar-rao-and-sanya-malhotra-starrer-hit-the-first-case-goes-on-floors/articleshow/86135174.cms) Kolanu, who made his directorial debut with the Telugu original, directed the remake as well.[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/rajkummar-rao-and-sanya-malhotra-starrer-hit-the-first-case-goes-on-floors/articleshow/86135174.cms) Filming wrapped in April 2022, and the wrap was announced by T-Series on Twitter.[2](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/rajkummar-rao-sanya-malhotra-starrer-hit-the-first-case-wraps-production-7874736/) It marked the first collaboration between Rao and Malhotra in lead roles; both had appeared in [Anurag Basu](https://www.edgepedia.org/anurag-basu)'s anthology film *[Ludo](https://www.edgepedia.org/ludo-film)* in different segments without sharing frames.[2](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/rajkummar-rao-sanya-malhotra-starrer-hit-the-first-case-wraps-production-7874736/) • [10](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/sanya-rajkummar-have-a-hit/20220419.htm)
## Relationship to the original
The 2020 Telugu original, directed by debutant Sailesh Kolanu and starring Vishwak Sen, was released in late February 2020, shortly before pandemic lockdowns, and found a sizeable streaming audience that secured the franchise.[6](https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/lifestyle/film-review-hit-the-first-case-follows-the-beats-of-the-telugu-original-but-suffers-on-account-of-its-hazy-chronology-and-ludicrous-ending/cid/1874919) The Hindi version retains the title, the character names, and, in many crucial scenes, identical camera angles.[6](https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/lifestyle/film-review-hit-the-first-case-follows-the-beats-of-the-telugu-original-but-suffers-on-account-of-its-hazy-chronology-and-ludicrous-ending/cid/1874919) • [11](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/hit-the-first-case-review-hindi-remake-of-telugu-never-become-the-taut-police-drama-it-wants-to-be-2-stars-3160240/amp/1)
The remake does differ from the original in several respects: it is set around Jaipur instead of [Telangana](https://www.edgepedia.org/telangana), has a higher-profile Hindi cast and a bigger budget, and changes the motive for the crime.[12](https://theprint.in/feature/reel-take/no-amount-of-rajkummar-raos-acting-can-save-hit-the-first-case/1039946/) Kolanu defended the remake on the grounds that sensibilities, language, and situations differ between Telugu- and Hindi-speaking audiences, saying that remaking his own story with the same team let him tune it for the new population.[13](https://www.freepressjournal.in/amp/entertainment/we-have-worked-hard-to-make-it-better-dr-sailesh-kolanu-on-hindi-remake-of-hit-the-first-case)
## Reception
Critical response was mixed to negative. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 50% Tomatometer from 10 reviews and a 56% Popcornmeter audience score.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hit_the_first_case) Shubhra Gupta of *The Indian Express* rated it 1.5 out of 5, writing that an intriguing mystery gets lost in lacklustre telling and superficial characterization.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hit_the_first_case) Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave it two stars, calling it a dreary replication of the original and noting that [Sanya Malhotra](https://www.edgepedia.org/sanya-malhotra) was saddled with a walk-on part with little potential.[11](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/hit-the-first-case-review-hindi-remake-of-telugu-never-become-the-taut-police-drama-it-wants-to-be-2-stars-3160240/amp/1) Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com was more positive at 3 out of 5, writing that the film "hits the jackpot with Rajkummar Rao".[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hit_the_first_case) The Times of India's review credited Rao with lending gravitas to a dawdling crime mystery.[14](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/hit-the-first-case/movie-review/92886014.cms)
Reviewers identified recurring weaknesses: a hazy chronology and what Telegraph India called a ludicrous ending,[6](https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/lifestyle/film-review-hit-the-first-case-follows-the-beats-of-the-telugu-original-but-suffers-on-account-of-its-hazy-chronology-and-ludicrous-ending/cid/1874919) and locations that feel geographically scattered compared with the original's coherence.[15](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/hit-the-first-case-movie-review-rajkummar-rao-sanya-malhotra-8030949/) On IMDb the film holds a 6.8 rating from roughly 18,000 to 19,000 votes, with user reviews praising the detective work shown on screen.[3](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/hit-the-first-case) • [16](https://www.imdb.com/hi/title/tt13130760/)
## References
1. [Rajkummar Rao-starrer HIT The First Case to stream on Netflix from Aug 28, The Indian Express (PTI)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/hit-the-first-case-to-stream-on-netflix-from-aug-28-8106500/)
2. [Rajkummar Rao-Sanya Malhotra's film HIT The First Case wraps production, The Indian Express (PTI)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/rajkummar-rao-sanya-malhotra-starrer-hit-the-first-case-wraps-production-7874736/)
3. [HIT: The First Case (2022), JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/hit-the-first-case)
4. [Hit: The First Case, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hit_the_first_case)
5. [Hit: The First Case, British Board of Film Classification](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/hit-the-first-case-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmda3mjex)
6. [Hindi remake of 'HIT — The First Case' is too far-fetched to make an impact, Telegraph India](https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/lifestyle/film-review-hit-the-first-case-follows-the-beats-of-the-telugu-original-but-suffers-on-account-of-its-hazy-chronology-and-ludicrous-ending/cid/1874919)
7. [Hit: The First Case (2022) - Plot, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13130760/plotsummary/)
8. [HIT: The First Case, Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/in/title/81436989)
9. [Rajkummar Rao and Sanya Malhotra starrer 'HIT- The First Case' goes on floors, Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/rajkummar-rao-and-sanya-malhotra-starrer-hit-the-first-case-goes-on-floors/articleshow/86135174.cms)
10. [Sanya-Rajkummar Have a HIT!, Rediff.com Movies](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/sanya-rajkummar-have-a-hit/20220419.htm)
11. [HIT: The First Case Review - Hindi Remake Of Telugu Never Becomes The Taut Police Drama It Wants To Be, NDTV (Saibal Chatterjee)](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/hit-the-first-case-review-hindi-remake-of-telugu-never-become-the-taut-police-drama-it-wants-to-be-2-stars-3160240/amp/1)
12. [No amount of Rajkummar Rao's acting can save 'HIT: The First Case', ThePrint](https://theprint.in/feature/reel-take/no-amount-of-rajkummar-raos-acting-can-save-hit-the-first-case/1039946/)
13. ['We have worked hard to make it better': Dr Sailesh Kolanu on Hindi remake of 'Hit: The First Case', Free Press Journal](https://www.freepressjournal.in/amp/entertainment/we-have-worked-hard-to-make-it-better-dr-sailesh-kolanu-on-hindi-remake-of-hit-the-first-case)
14. [Hit: The First Case Movie Review: Rajkummar Rao lends gravitas to this dawdling crime mystery, Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/hit-the-first-case/movie-review/92886014.cms)
15. [HIT The First Case movie review: Lacklustre film leaves Rajkummar Rao hanging, The Indian Express (Shubhra Gupta)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/hit-the-first-case-movie-review-rajkummar-rao-sanya-malhotra-8030949/)
16. [Hit: The First Case (2022), IMDb (Hindi page, user reviews)](https://www.imdb.com/hi/title/tt13130760/)
17. [The Pioneer, Vijayawada e-paper, December 27, 2024](https://pynr.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/27-VJA-12-PAGES-PDF.compressed.pdf)
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*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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