2020 · Film
HIT: The First Case
Sailesh Kolanu's Telugu crime thriller in which a troubled Hyderabad homicide officer investigates the disappearance of a young woman on the city's Outer Ring Road.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, HIT: The First Case is free to watch in India on YouTube.
The story
Vikram Rudraraju is a sharp officer in Telangana's Homicide Intervention Team, but a traumatic past gives him panic attacks and strains his relationship with Neha, a forensic expert. While he is on leave, a college student named Preethi vanishes after her car breaks down on Hyderabad's Outer Ring Road. Vikram pushes his way onto the case, which may be linked to another missing-person file that still haunts him. With few clues and mounting pressure from his seniors, he must follow the evidence wherever it leads.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
A tight, twisty investigation for viewers who enjoy whodunits and police procedurals more than big action. It deals with violent crime against women, trauma and panic attacks, so it suits adults and older teens.
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
HIT: The First Case was the debut feature of writer-director Sailesh Kolanu and was produced by actor Nani and Prashanti Tipirneni under Wall Poster Cinema. It is the first film in the HIT Universe, followed by HIT: The Second Case (2 December 2022), with Adivi Sesh, and HIT: The Third Case (1 May 2025), starring Nani; each follows a different officer, so it is the natural starting point.
The film opened in cinemas on 28 February 2020 to positive reviews and began streaming on Amazon Prime Video on 1 April 2020. Wikipedia reports a box-office gross of ₹12.60 crore. Kolanu remade it in Hindi with Rajkummar Rao in 2022, also titled HIT: The First Case, and a Hindi dub of the Telugu original is on the Goldmines YouTube channel.
The facts
- Language
- Telugu
- Hindi
- Hindi dub available
- Genre
- Police procedural, Crime thriller
- Runtime
- 130 min
- Director
- Sailesh Kolanu
- Cast
- Vishwak Sen, Ruhani Sharma, Murali Sharma, Chaitanya Sagiraju, Brahmaji
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch HIT: The First Case in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, HIT: The First Case is free to watch in India on YouTube.
- Is HIT: The First Case available in Hindi?
- Yes. HIT: The First Case was made in Telugu, and a Hindi-dubbed version is available on YouTube.
- How long is HIT: The First Case?
- HIT: The First Case runs for 2 hours 10 minutes (130 minutes).