HIT: The Third Case, directed by Sailesh Kolanu and starring Nani, Srinidhi Shetty and Prateik Babbar, was released in theatres on May 1. The film is the third instalment in his HIT (Homicide Intervention Team) franchise and sees SP Arjun Sarkaar (Nani) solve a series of murders. The film ends by officially announcing HIT: The Fourth Case with a special cameo. Know all about the actor and character taking over the franchise. (Also Read: HIT The Third Case movie review: Blood-soaked Nani steals the show in this gory fest that could've been better)
Karthi played a cop in the 2017 film Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru, he will play one again in HIT: The Fourth Case.
HIT: The Fourth Case officially announced
After Arjun wraps up what he started in HIT 3 in a neat, if bloody, bow, Sailesh sets things up for HIT 4. Tamil actor Karthi is officially introduced as ACP Veerappan at the end of the film, making him the first non-Telugu actor to lead the franchise. But, in a meta scene, Veerappan assures everyone that he’s bilingual, just in case people thought he didn’t know Telugu. Unlike Arjun’s introduction at the end of HIT 2 as an unlikeable cop, Karthi’s Veerappan seems as jolly as they come. And at the end of HIT 3, it looks like he already has a murder mystery to solve in HIT 4.
Karthi’s previous tryst with playing a cop
HIT 4 will not be the first time Karthi plays a cop. He played the memorable DSP Rathnavel Pandian in Siruthai (2011), a remake of the Telugu film Vikramarkudu (2006). And then there was Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru (2017), in which he played DSP Theeran Thirumaran, a cop who performs the thankless job of hunting down killers. In Sardar (2022), he played Inspector Vijay Prakash, who is obsessed with rebuilding his tarnished image after his father, a former RAW agent, is branded a national traitor. He will reprise the role for Sardar 2, which he is shooting for now.
The HIT franchise
Sailesh’s HIT franchise began with HIT: The First Case (2020), which saw Vishwak Sen play Vikram Rudraraju, a cop suffering from PTSD due to past trauma. He followed that up with HIT: The Second Case (2022), headlined by Adivi Sesh’s Krishna Dev, aka KD, who catches a serial killer murdering girls. In the recently released HIT: The Third Case (2025), Nani plays Arjun Sarkaar, who goes undercover to solve a series of murders following the same modus operandi across the country. It remains to be seen when HIT: The Fourth Case will go on floors and release.
Despite having a Master's degree in Journalism and over a decade of experience in print and digital media as a field reporter and sub-editor at organisations such as The Times of India and Reader's Digest, Neeshita Nyayapati remains a movie buff first and a Chief Content Producer second. She fell in love with movies in childhood and believes nothing matches the magic of watching a good film that moves you with a warm tub of popcorn in hand. Her love for writing about cinema follows that.
Come Friday, you'll find her at her happy place, the movies, catching the latest rom-com or masala offering, for reviews or otherwise. As for the rest of the week, she's here reporting the juiciest news in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi or bringing out the best of celebs in interviews. While her niche is Telugu cinema, Neeshita likes to dabble in a little bit of everything to stay up to date. From film announcements to scandals and hard news angles, she has explored it all.
A good book, a comforting cup of hot chocolate, puppy kisses and a stunning beach view are all she needs to unwind. Her passion for biking and travelling has taken her to various places across the country. She has found peace in everything from the frozen lakes of Gangtok to the coffee plantations of Coorg and the dense forests of Bandipur, to the monasteries of Darjeeling. But no matter where she goes, Neeshita loves coming across inspiring and moving stories.Read More
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