hisaab-barabar-review

BOTTOM LINE
Madhavan Drowns in a Hopeless Film

PLATFORM
ZEE5

RUN TIME
1 Hour 50 mins


What Is the Film About?

Radhe Mohan Sharma, a railway ticket checker, stumbles upon a minor discrepancy in his bank account, setting off a chain of events, leading him to uncover a massive financial fraud orchestrated by a powerful banker named Micky Mehta, the founder of Do Bank. While unearthing a billion-dollar scam and facing immense pressure and threats, Radhe does what it takes to expose the truth.


Performances

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The film has many notable names in its lineup – from Madhavan to Kirti Kulhari to Neil Nitin Mukesh and Manu Rishi – and yet there’s no standout performance to distract us from its blandness. Madhavan’s common man-act feels like a pale rehash of his commendable role in Evano Oruvan (which was a far better film in comparison). The earnestness somehow doesn’t strike a chord at all here. 

Neil Nitin Mukesh is a disappointment and it’s difficult to understand what makes him say yes to such painfully stereotypical roles after many years of experience under his belt. Kirti Kulhari, torn between the system and love, lends an endearing quality to her performance. Child artiste Shaunak Duggal, Rajesh Jais, Manu Rishi and Rashmi Desai don’t get to make much of an impact. 

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Analysis

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Hisaab Barabar is a simple story of a righteous government employee fighting an uphill battle with a bank founder, in what seems like a subplot of a Shankar film from the 90s and 2000s. The film banks on a generic premise for a 2-hour narrative, delving into the inner workings of a corrupt system that guards the powerful and disregards the voice of the average citizen. It makes no attempt to excite you, employing an old-school good vs evil trope to tell an already dull story. 

The film could’ve ideally been a 15-minute short and it would’ve still made no difference to its impact. Radhe, the protagonist, is an embodiment of a common man’s never-say-die spirit. Alternating between his indubitable ethics at the workplace and being a doting father back home, his life takes an unexpected turn while uncovering a white-collar crime affecting all account holders in a bank. 

At the other end of law is an unabashedly manipulative businessman Mickey Mehta, who uses a technical snag as an excuse to cheat his customers. Mickey takes all account holders at Do Bank to the cleaners with the help of a corrupt politician. When a righteous government employee comes in the way of his scam, Mickey does his best to crush his spirit, until larger good prevails. 

As a film, even if Hisaab Barabar is too vanilla, it’s surprisingly focused (helped by its 110-minute runtime). Mickey is introduced as the spoilt brat – the one-note villain who has no personality beyond the scam. All he does is threaten the vulnerable protagonist Radhe, host parties, and be in the good books of those in power. Radhe is the exact opposite – middle class, sincere and miserly. 

Several aspects of Radhe’s life are intertwined with the scam – his paperwork, the knack for reading between the lines, the value he places on seemingly insignificant amounts of money, his persistence for justice and also his love life with Subhash (to a fair extent). The romance segment starts well and the backstories have potential, though they’re not exploited fully.

Ashwin Dhir’s film barely gets going – there’s hardly any reason to invest in Radhe’s story (his school principal-like work ethic is a bore) while there’s no charisma/personality to Mickey Mehta’s villainy. The writing is all over the place and the treatment is shockingly bland; the plot devices are too convenient to awaken the film from its slumber. It settles for mediocrity easily and it’s a shame. 

It’s disappointing for a potent avenue like OTT to transition into a dumping ground with the influx of abysmal originals and shows that neither tell stories differently nor pave the way for new talent to emerge. Films like Hisaab Barabar serve no purpose other than eroding the very trust on which OTTs wooed viewers to platforms. 


Music and Other Departments?

Aman Pant’s music score makes a mark, though it’s odd to hear ‘Hisaab Barabar’ in every second sequence to emphasise the protagonist’s intelligence. Among the songs, Mann Mann Rangeyo is an instant earworm. Santosh Thundiyil’s cinematography, although not spectacular, helps the director drive the story forward with his bright, vivid frames. The 110-minute runtime is too long for the simplistic idea and is a patience-tester.


Highlights?

Decent music, cinematography

Capable actors

The not-so-bad first half

Drawbacks?

Wafer-thin story

Yawn-inducing screenplay, dull treatment

Average performances


Did I Enjoy It?

No

Will You Recommend It?

Not at all

Hisaab Barabar Zee5 OTT Movie Review by M9