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The concept to moreover portray the patience and perseverance of the common man sets Ashwni Dhir’s Hisaab Barabar, a Jio Studios product airing now on Zee5. A well-worn cinematic trope—the David vs. Goliath battle between an ordinary individual and an oppressive system—forms the backbone of the film. But again, the show fails to deliver and maintain the concept needed due to confusion and a relatively weak structure, a typical story, and painful handling for a group that is already more than a week into shooting.
An Ordinary Hero with a Numbers Obsession
The main character is an Indian Railways ticket checker named Radhe Mohan Sharma, essayed by R Madhavan; he has an unnatural fondness for figures. Though initially, he wanted to become a chartered accountant, fate did not let him, and now he use his ability to count each and every penny in his current profession. Moreover, one day when he realizes ₹27.50 is missing from his account balance, the passion becomes a vengeance against a private bank at which he opened the account, denying any loss of money on their part.
This small incongruity makes Radhe explore a far more elaborated plot. The bank run by the ‘ newPosition Airways https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Position_Airways Mickey Mehta (Neil Nitin Mukesh) has been looting negligible amounts from the middle class account holders steadily and the racket adds up to thousands of crores.
When Radhe stands against the system he faces different challenges in the form of threats of violence, humiliation and betrayal. However, once again going with the basic flavor of the common man turned hero, he gets back to work, to be a symbol of justice. Unfortunately, while Madhavan’s earnest performance lends credibility to his character, the film itself doesn’t do enough to evolve Radhe beyond his single defining trait: his obsession with numbers.
A Predictable David vs. Goliath Storyline
To being with, let it be said that, at its core, Hisaab Barabar is anything but original and follows a rather formulaic trajectory. The amiable protagonist fights a ruthless and oppressively unjust system—a theme Hndi cinema has delved in, and continues to so, a thousand times. Already from the outset, we understand that Radhe’s fight will be a tough one but we also know that he will win. As a result the story’s narrative costs momentum by frequently and regularly failing to depict a new event to the plot.
Neil Nitin Mukesh in particular stands out as the wicked and money crazy bank owner Mickey Mehta. The gardeners’ unconvincing attempt at moral compass could have been made up for if Dhillon played his part as the grey villain to the hilt, the drunken lecherous man he has to share screen space with a politician played by Manu Rishi Chadha brings out the intoxication and his urge to slip in the flesh trade business. However, not even Mukesh is able to give some energy to a narration that seems tired, and without real suspense.
The rest of the cast like Kirti Kulhari does a decent job but unfortunately can’t make much of ordinary characters. First it gives the notion that may be Kulhari was going to add an emotional connection to Radhe’s character as he is a daily commuter in the train. Although, from the time the audience learns the true essence of her character and true self, she merely serves as a passive agent to the movie’s main narrative.
Strengths Undermined by Execution
Thus, although the concept of Hisaab Barabar should have public appeal – and does so today specifically when middle-class people complain that they are being overcharged on every front, including by their banks – plots and subplots weaken the telling of that story. The comedic and dark elements are all over the place with most scenes being a much odd blend of both styles.
The film has a few scenes that any viewer of average intelligence should be able to easily identify with. For example, anger when responding to unenthusiastic customer service or the tenacious, non-rebellious perseverance with which Radhe receives increasing problems resonates with people. However, these moments are too rare to drive consistent interest to cruise within the hundreds of channels.
Another very distinct weakness is in the movie’s pacing. It remains still a messy tale, one that sometimes gets confused on what it wants to be, even at its beginning. It is also utterly unbelievable to assume that such crucial sequences of the film as the emergence of the fact that the bank is involved in fraud or the fight between Radhe and Mehta are devoid of enough tension and dramatic nature of events. However, the film is emptily episodic and does not try to establish any sufficient continuity between the scenes.
Madhavan’s Performance: A Saving Grace?
Lauded for his depth in portraying his characters, R Madhavan, does his best to give character to Radhe Mohan Sharma. He gives portrayal of the Radhe character with the convincing determination and delicate weakness of a hero. But the script does not allow him to grow – he just stands there. Despite this, Radhe develops a vegas one-track-mind and obsessed with numbers, which makes it boring to further explore on other side of the character.
On the other hand, Neil Nitin Mukesh as Mickey Mehta is more vibrant all the way. As much as the character is simply a one-dimensional villain — a greedy banker who feeds off the desperate — Mukesh injects an odd, subtle humour into what could otherwise be quite tedious.
Too bad, for this the lovely Kirti Kulhari is let down by her character sketch which could have been much, much more. What seemed like a large part in the movie is reduced to this state, so Kulhari has nothing to do but respond to what Madhavan has done. Still she cannot make any deep impact no matter how hard she tries.
Themes That Fail to Land
Thematically, Hisaab Barabar attempts to tackle issues that resonate with the common man: Crime, violence, sul, and the strength to rise and go up against dominant structures. However, instead of doing that, the makers of this film go overboard and thus weaken its effect. As much as it attempts at rousing the hope of the ordinary citizen, it kisses the depth of its themes goodbye.
For instance, it briefly talks about how Radhe’s work affects his emotions – he is all isolated and irritable. However, such scenes which have potential of being very interesting and real are not well developed and they just feel mere Hollywood scenes. For the same reason, the themes of corruption and the disillusionment of middle-class in the film do not represent sufficient subtlety to sustain societal impact.
Final Verdict: A Missed Opportunity
Hisaab Barabar could have been quite an interesting social drama given the topicality, the message it aspires to convey as well as an ordinary protagonist as the film’s hero. But it doesn’t get to that potentiality due to a dramedy by formulaic concept, inconsistent performance and underdeveloped characters.
Although it is more credible due to R Madhavan’s sincere effort, still it does not justify those inadequacies. This hardworking, predictable script creates a very slow film that is neither directed nor acted with enough enthusiasm to make Hisaab Barabar anything more than a wasted opportunity.
Finally, the film cannot tally the accomplishments as intended, and instead it just gives the audience a brief consideration of the intentions. As talented as they both are – Deepak and Priyamani – Hisaab Barabar is a wake-up call that even the most solid premise requires powerful narration and believable characters.
Rating: 2.5/5
Read More: ‘The Diplomat’ Review: A Tense and Gripping Political Thriller Rooted in Reality
