Hisaab Barabar

Madhavan's Railway to Redemption Has Delays, But Reaches Its Destination!

Ashwni Dhir's Hisaab Barabar starts brilliantly, with Madhavan delivering a cracking performance as a ticket collector who accidentally becomes a corporate whistleblower. The chap's got that everyman charm down pat... think his 3 Idiots days but with more righteous indignation and fewer engineering jokes.

The film's opening act is genuinely engaging, setting up a David-versus-Goliath tale that promises proper thrills. Madhavan anchors proceedings with his trademark blend of bumbling determination and moral clarity, making even the dodgiest dialogue sound almost profound.

Sadly, director Dhir can't quite maintain the momentum. What begins as focused storytelling gradually descends into tonal confusion-part social commentary, part melodrama, with comic relief that lands about as gracefully as a derailed train. Neil Nitin Mukesh hams it up deliciously as the corporate villain, whilst Preity Kulhari remains criminally underused.

The technical elements are workmanlike rather than inspired, but Madhavan's committed performance elevates material that could have been thoroughly mediocre. It's formulaic filmmaking with genuine heart, rather like a delayed train that eventually gets you where you need to go.

Rating: 7/10 (including 1 extra point purely for Madhavan making earnestness look effortless)

R. Madhavan's Hisaab Barabar falls short of expectations, delivering a story that feels overly simplistic despite an interesting premise. While the topic had potential, the execution lacked depth, with no intense drama or gripping moments to keep viewers hooked. The film suffers from a flat narrative and minimal emotional impact, making it feel more like a casual watch than a memorable experience. R. Madhavan sir, known for his exceptional performances in films like 3 Idiots, Rocketry, Saala Khadoos, and the web series like Breathe, couldn't elevate the lackluster storytelling in Hisaab Barabar. It's a one-time watch at best, deserving a 4/10 for effort but leaving much to be desired in terms of engagement and impact.

Hisaab Barabar, directed by Ashwini Dhir, revolves around an honest Ticket Collector (TC) working for the Indian Railways who sets out to expose a massive financial fraud by a banker. While the premise seems promising on paper, the execution falters. The film struggles to find a consistent tone, failing to strike a balance between being hard- hitting or a light satirical take. Though there are a few interesting scenes, they are quickly followed by sequences that feel nonsensical. The overuse of the phrase "Hisaab Barabar" by the lead and in the background score becomes repetitive and annoying, further diminishing the film's appeal.

OVERALL RATING

R. Madhavan delivers an earnest performance as the honest TC, but even his effort cannot salvage the film, especially with the overly dramatic monologues toward the end. Neil Nitin Mukesh, Kriti Kulhari, and Manu Rishi deliver okay performances at best in their poorly written characters. The heavy use of green screen in several scenes further derails the film making the film look amateurish and distracting from the narrative. Overall, Hisaab Barabar wastes its promising premise with inconsistent execution, weak writing, and a lack of focus, offering only a few noteworthy moments and a sincere effort from its lead.

OVERALL - 7/10.

Tone, Script & Story: A travelling ticket examiner who is good at accounts discovers fraudulent nature of a bank where bank loots public by taking miniscule amounts from accounts which are created in bank.

When I first find the trailer I expected more, I expected more from story may it be the exposure of crime, how it is brought to justice or may it be the love life involving Kriti. Also, the story takes time to get to the subject during its runtime.

Direction, Screenplay, Cinematography: The station, the account calculation, the neighbor's, the account holders, the bank, the residences, the office, etc has been captured well. It's the story which lacks. Music is below average. Acting is justified.

Final Verdict: The movie has been released on OTT. Do support it.

A very beautiful and amazing concept lost in poor screenplay and story telling.

Execution, music, direction, editing and almost everything in the movie was supremely low standard. I watched it only because of R. Madhvan sir, he was terrific as always. But there was little to no requirement of a female lead, and their love angle was also unnecessary. The kid was also a miscasting, he did not act well nor he fitted in the screenplay well.

Negative roles: Manu rishi was amazing as always, but Neil was simply over acting, owner/chairman of a huge bank dancing on road, arguing with a comman man on the streets was just over the board.

All in all, a very satirical concept lost due to bad story writing, screenplay and bad direction.

Watch it once for the concept and acting of Madhvan Sir.