HISAAB BARABAR makes an important comment but the film fails to impress.
Hisaab Barabar Review 2.0/5 & Review Rating
Star Cast: R Madhavan, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Kirti Kulhari
Director: Ashwni Dhir
Hisaab Barabar Movie Review Synopsis:
HISAAB BARABAR is the story of a common man’s fight against a corrupt system. Radhe Mohan Sharma (R Madhavan) is a senior TTE and he lives in Delhi with his son Mannu (Shaunak Duggal). Radhe is divorced from his wife. He’s so honest that he gives a detailed accounting of the fines that he collected, down to the last penny. He meets a beautiful girl (Kirti Kulhari) on the train and soon, they start dating. Radhe has an account in DO Bank and one day, he realizes that Rs. 27.50 has been cut by the bank without any explanation. He goes to his branch and the clerk (Faisal Rashid) doesn’t take his complaint seriously. Radhe, however, persists, more so when he sees that a similar amount has been cut from his colleague’s account without explanation. Finally, the matter reaches the manager (Rajesh Jais). He credits Rs. 27.50 to Radhe’s account and also gifts him a TV worth Rs. 25,000. Radhe is happy with the gesture but also realizes that the gift is given to him to shut him up. But Radhe is unable to get over the fact that by deducting minuscule amounts from the accounts of every customer, the bank is doing a scam possibly of more than Rs. 2000 crores. He decides to investigate the matter. This brings him under the scanner of DO Bank founder Micky Mehta (Neil Nitin Mukesh). What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Hisaab Barabar Movie Story Review:
Ritesh Shastri’s story is an eye-opener. Ashwni Dhir and Purva Naresh’s screenplay (additional screenplay by Ritesh Shastri and Dolphy Fernandes), however, doesn’t create an impact because of silly plot points. Ashwni Dhir’s dialogues (additional dialogues by Purva Naresh) are simple and in some places, hard-hitting.
Ashwni Dhir’s direction is okay. He keeps the narrative easy to understand, despite the fact that the scam being pulled off by Micky is a bit complicated. The character of Radhe is well-fleshed out and one roots for him. The scene where he explains the scam in a food court is memorable. Also, aspects like a bank looting public money, the system being friendly to the rich, the bulldozer justice, etc, make the film very relatable and true to life.
On the flipside, there are too many issues with the narrative. The twist at the interval point is unexpected. But soon, the Kirti Kulhari track raises a lot of questions. How come Radhe never asked her what she does for a living, though they were dating? And why does she suddenly become so tough on him? The makers reason that duty comes first for her. But even while doing so, she could have been a little gentler. The entire bit of Radhe rejecting her proposal 15 years ago is also added forcefully and gives a déjà vu of Rajkummar Rao’s revenge angle in SHAADI MEIN ZAROOR AANA [2017]. Further, Radhe, in his entry scene, jumps in a moving train with lots of oranges. But some scenes later, he’s unable to do so, without any fruits in his possession, even though the train picks up speed gently. The makers probably wanted to show Radhe pursuing his love interest but again, it could have been handled convincingly. Thirdly, the bulldozer justice track is also handled in a silly manner, especially the way Monalisa (Rashami Desai) behaves after the incident. Lastly, the finale is too convenient.
Hisaab Barabar | Trailer | R Madhavan | Neil Nitin Mukesh | Ashwni Dhir | Premieres 24th Jan On ZEE5
Hisaab Barabar Movie Review Performances:
R Madhavan is the best performer in the film. His sincerity and his straightforward dialogue delivery enhance his performance. Neil Nitin Mukesh gives his best foot forward but somehow, the performance leaves a lot to be desired. Kirti Kulhari is superb but is let down by the writing. The same applies to Rashami Desai. Ishtiyak Khan (Credit card seller) raises some laughs. Faisal Rashid and Rajesh Jais leave a mark. Manu Rishi Chadha (Dayal) is just okay. Shaunak Duggal doesn’t get much scope. Jyoti Negi (Railway clerk), Kalyani Jha (Ranganathan), Sukumar Tudu (Inspector Tyagi) and the other actors playing cops are fair.
Hisaab Barabar movie music and other technical aspects:
Aman Pant’s music is forgettable. All three tracks- the title track, ‘Mann Mann Rangeyo’ and ‘Sab Jag Andha’ – fail to impress. Aman Pant’s background score is better.
Santosh Thundiyil’s cinematography is neat. Laxman Keluskar’s production design gives the vibe of a TV show. Even the title styling is outdated. Masumi Mewawala and Irfan Khatri’s costumes are straight out of life while Irfan Khatri’s costumes for Neil Nitin Mukesh are stylish. Siraj Sayed’s action is minimal. Manan Sagar’s editing is too quick to leave an impact in some scenes.
Hisaab Barabar Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, HISAAB BARABAR makes an important comment and is embellished with a fine performance by R Madhavan. But the film fails to impress because of a weak script.
