Vikram Jaising Rathod [Rajkumar Rao] is a cop working for Homicide Investigation Team [HIT] in Jaipur Rajasthan. He is one of the top cops in his unit, but he is often bogged down by the baggage of his traumatic past. As he struggles with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) & pyrophobia, he is prescribed to go on leave to relax and to reduce his anxieties. Else he could be announced unfit for his job.
While he is away, an 18-year-old girl – Preeti- goes mysteriously missing from the highway in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Inline with incidents, he also gets a call that his girlfriend Neha (Sanya Malhotra), a forensic officer, is missing for the last two days. Hence the investigation begins, which brings almost every character of the story under the radar of suspicion. From the helpful cop who had offered to drop Preethi home on that fateful day, to the society friend who is a divorcee… everyone gets questioned by this very efficient cop.
Written & directed by Dr Shailesh Kolanu, the film is a shot-for-shot remake of his own Telegu hit from 2020. The story is entwined really well for a suspense thriller. The sequence of events and suspects, compels you to think who could this actually be? The first half of the film establishes the characters really well. With intriguing camera angles and a matching background score, the story dwells well till the climax. However, the film lacks the intensity that a cop-thriller can have. At no point, the viewer gets surprised or scared at all.
Vikram is one keen-eye cop, who wouldn’t rest until he has gotten to the bottom of the truth anyhow. Though his past keeps on bringing him down with anxiety attacks but he never relinquishes to any of such limitations. Rajkumar Rao has played both the shades of his character very well. His tone, facial expression and body language establish him well as a taut cop. And in the scenes where he crumbles while fighting his past, present him as naïve and sensitive yet convincing. Even, in the only romantic number in the film with his girlfriend Neha, he manages to look intense with a certain level of stillness in him.
Sanya has acted her part as a dedicated and balanced girlfriend like Neha well. The supporting cast including senior actors like Dalip Tahil, Millind Gunaji and Shilpa Shukla, adds to the screenplay as required.
Though the writers have diligently explained all the twists and turns in the story, barring one! We still don’t know, the back story of Vikram or who was that girl, who was burned so brutally? Most likely we will see that in the sequel. Considering the sequel of the Telegu film is already under production, Kolanu has set the tone well for full-fledged series in Hindi too.
3/5 Stars !!