The performances of the central players is impactful but ‘Hisaab Barabar’ lacks the seriousness required.
Hisaab Barabar (Hindi), 24-01-2025, Comedy, Drama, 1 hour 51 minutes, 16+, OTT
- Main Cast: R Madhavan, Niel Nitin Mukesh, and Kriti Kulhari
- Director: Ashwini Dhar
- Producer: KT Kunjumon
- Music Director: Aman Pant
- Cinematography: Santhosh Thundiyil
- Rating: 2.5/5
Ashwini Dhar’s Hisaab Barabar has its heart in the right place. The movie wants to educate the viewers about financial scams which common men often tend to overlook.
Through the central character played by R Madhavan, the movie wants to make the viewers more aware of the snowballing effect of corruption and how we should be extra vigilant.
These themes are indeed thought-provoking but Ashwini Dhar’s treatment leaves a lot to be desired.
Synopsis
The story of Hisaab Barbar focuses on an extremely righteous railway ticket examiner Radhe Mohan Sharma (a sincere R Madhavan). Radhe Mohan Sharma is an expert at accounts, his maths never goes wrong.
One day he notices a small discrepancy of ₹27.50 in his bank account. Upon further investigation, Sharma comes across a major financial scam worth ₹2, 400 crores. This financial scam has been orchestrated by a greedy banker Micky Mehta (an over-the-top but fun Neil Nitin Mukesh).
As Radhe navigates the various layers of corruption and bureaucracy he is confronted with various hurdles both professional and personal.
The other important character is played by Kriti Kulhari, the character Poonam Joshi starts as a love interest but as the plot progresses her real identity turns out to be something else.
On the shoulders of Madhavan
What saves Hisaab Barabar from completely falling off is undoubtedly the sincerity of R Madhavan. As the humble ticket collector facing off corrupt businessman R Madhavan does a very good job of portraying both vulnerability and determination.
He brings an emotional heft to the role, particularly in the portions where both his professional and personal life come to a standstill.
Niel Nitin Mukesh as the over-the-top antagonist often borders on being a caricature still it is clear that the actor has had a blast.
He chews the scenery with gleeful abandon perfectly oscillating between being menacing and also raising chuckles. His performance and characterization work as a perfect contrast to R Madhavan’s grounded act. The interplay between the two characters is undoubtedly a major plus for the movie.
Kriti Kulhari as Poonam Joshi has various shades, starting off as a love interest and then to her real identity. Kriti Kulhari does a very fine job although the romantic track between her and Madhavan comes across as a major speedbreaker.
The movie’s ultimate message about a common man’s strength and how with great determination one can overcome numerous challenges is indeed admirable. It leaves the viewers with a good feeling.
Flaws
As far as the flaws go, the biggest minus of Hisaab Barbar is the tonal inconsistencies, the balance between light-hearted humour and the seriousness required leaves a lot to be desired.
The attempt to inject humour in some of the crucial scenes leaves a very bad taste, a good example of this is a major scuffle between R Madhavan and a bank employee.
Instead of being taut and intense, the entire portion is reduced to a silly gag. The film also suffers from certain filminess, the resolution to the tussle between R Madhavan’s Radhe Mohan and Niel Nitin Mukesh’s Mickey cultivates in an overtly simplistic mode.
The operation of financial crimes also lacks the necessary depth, particularly for the more discerning audience, the production values are of a very low standard. The movie’s low budget is clearly visible in the tacky cinematography of Santhosh Thundiyil.
Final take
To sum it up Hisaab Barabar is a decent watch if you are looking for a time pass movie and are an R Madhavan admirer.
(Views expressed here are personal, edited by Sumavarsha)
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