The track record of Adivi Sesh is impeccable. While most of the stars occasionally succeed in thrillers, here’s Shesh making a living out of it. HIT 2 the latest in his success streak however juggles between a middling screenplay and an exciting idea.
In every thriller, the USP lies in the investigation and how it leads to the culprit’s reveal. HIT 2 does both meticulously right but the things around it suffer from serious shortcomings. HIT 2 uses the existing template to create a murder mystery but makes it more gory and eerie with its tonality. There’s a series of murders, a dashing hero, irritating superior officers, and a final reveal – while the box remains old-fashioned the packaging and design look slightly better. HIT 2 serves as a second part in the HIT universe and I really loved the way Sailesh Kolanu interconnected information from the previous part into this new setting. The runtime is precise yet the middling writing keeps deviating once it delivers an exciting turn. HIT 2 uses almost its entire first half to turn productive and the rest hour is a proper payoff even though the killer’s identity is obvious from the initial hour itself. What I enjoyed the most about his Sesh starrer is it tries hard to be different and manages to set a thriller universe within its limited plot points. It’s fascinating how Sailesh Kolanu used some recent activities in the state and made a debatable turn. However, the tension required and the slickness seem to be missing, the interrogation stretches are creative yet the proceedings lack a banger end. Sailesh Kolanu treats HIT 2 as a spine-chilling crime thriller with the murders being too gory for the younger section thereby adding a layer of horror that might have cooked well with more well-constructed writing.
Adivi Sesh is believable as the vulnerable yet unflinching protagonist. The ease he has for handling thrillers makes him fit for the investigative parts while the emotional breakdown is handled aptly. Meenakshi Chowdary fills the gap of a commercial heroine with soulful songs and a romantic equation with Sesh being her only asset in the journey.
Setting up a thriller universe requires great energy and a solid arrangement of writing. HIT 2 within its detours and clichéd tone uses the genre sincerely and smartly to make a way for the third installment. It definitely could’ve been better by all means but makes a decent entry into the new HITverse.
©Rahul Babu