Story: Hisaab Barabar revolves around an ordinary man, named Radhe Mohan Sharma (played by R Madhavan), with an adamant ideology about money reckoning. He keeps an unerring account of every penny he spends. This average Indian, who wished to become a chartered accountant (CA), is coerced into railway services due to his family problems. An unusual activity of ₹27.50 in his bank account and his fight against injustice turns his life upside down, eventually making him an inspiration for common people. The crucial message in the story is delivered in a satirical style, making it an eye-opener for millions. That said, is the Ashwni Dhir directorial, also starring Neil Nitin Mukesh and Kirti Kulhari, worth your time? Let’s find out.
Review: ‘Consumer fraud’ and ‘scams’ are not uncommon in our country. Every other day, we learn about a new fraudulent act. Here’s a film that uses a unique angle to describe a familiar topic, which not only enlightens the audience but also entertains them. Known for delightful films like Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? and One Two Three, director Ashwni’s latest film is yet another subtle and serious story with a comedic undertone.
The plot opens by introducing Neil as Mickey Mehta, a bank owner. He aims to cash in on those pennies that people don’t have the time to think about in their busy lives. However, cumulatively it could make a huge difference to their expenditures and savings. Written by newbie Ritesh Shastri, along with the director himself, the narrative cleverly unfolds bit by bit, explaining how a ‘fraud’ banker’s ‘smart’ yet unethical idea turns into a nightmare after the arrival of an honest and responsible man, Radhe Mohan.
Hisaab Barabar is quite a relatable story, and while watching the film, it makes you go through your own online payments and receipts. However, despite the film’s empathetic tone, the plot seems disjointed at certain points. The story mostly revolves around Radhe Mohan’s professional and personal life. One part of his life is all about his honest work and his son. Then, he also comes across as a romantic person, who wants to give love a second chance as his wife left him years ago. Police officer Poonam Joshi (Kirti) enters the plot as his new love interest, but their relationship gets lost amid new developments.
Of course, Madhavan’s character is the centre of the film. He brilliantly portrays the character of a single father, who is trying to make the best of his life with his son and his job. Even though the fine actor has been seen in versatile roles in several films and shows, it’s difficult to set him apart from his characters in each of his projects. Similarly, in Hisaab Barabar, his pleasing personality and innocence make him endearing as a middle-class man.
Neil makes the most of what’s been provided to him being an antagonist in the film. The character he plays is cunning and evil, and only thinks about stuffing his vault by looting hard-working people penny by penny. The actor reminds us of his other villainous characters such as Spider from Players and Nikhil from Golmaal Again. Similar to his earlier roles, he pulls out a decent job as Mickey in his latest outing. Meanwhile, Kirti plays both sides of her character significantly well.
Rashami Desai, Faisal Rashid and Rajesh Jais appear in smaller roles but contribute to driving the film forward. Meanwhile, Manu Rishi Chadha completes the movie with his character as a corrupt and selfish politician. The versatile actor embodies the personality of a dishonest leader and turns out to be an important part of the narrative.
Sadly, the film doesn’t give a proper backstory about the lead actor’s personal life, and why he was left alone with his son. A small conversation between the father and son reveals that Radhe’s wife left him due to his habit of calculating every small expense. However, it doesn’t appear very sound and persuasive. Although Radhe Mohan and Poonam’s love story seems quite serious in the first half, it fizzles out in the second half of the film.
Verdict: Laidback writing makes this satirical thriller look disjointed and unconvincing. That also holds back the film from becoming what could have been a masterpiece, centred on an important social issue. However, a perfect blend of humorous scenes, funny dialogues and the actors’ stellar performance make this eye-opening tale a good watch. Stream Hisaab Barabar on ZEE5 from January 24, 2025.
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Hisaab Barabar
Watch On: ZEE5
Director: Ashwni Dhir
Writers: Ashwni Dhir, Ritesh Shastri
Cast: R Madhavan, Kirti Kulhari, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Manu Rishi Chadha, Rashami Desai, Faisal Rashid, Rajesh Jais
Rating: 3 stars
