R Madhavan takes the take in Hisaab Barabar, a David vs. Goliath tale where an honest railway ticket examiner stumbles upon a banking scam that’s bigger than he ever imagined.
What starts as a small-scale variant of ₹27.50 unravels into a web of degeneracy involving a shadowed businessman (Neil Nitin Mukesh) and a power-hungry minister. Sounds thrilling? Well, not entirely.
What works? Madhavan is effortlessly witching, and keeps you rooting for him. The film’s nucleus concept—an everyman taking on financial fraud—feels relevant and well-timed,. The pace is decent, and there’s a sincere endeavor to mix humor with drama.
What doesn’t? The executing! Neil Nitin Mukesh’s villain feels more like a comic volume character than a real threat.
The production values are middling, and the screenplay plays it too safe, missing out on potential sharp-worded satire. The story is predictable, with clichés taking over where gripping tension should have been.
Final verdict? Hisaab Barabar had the numbers to be a really smart thriller, but bad calculations drag it down. Watch it for Madhavan, but don’t expect a mind-blowing expose.
Now streaming on ZEE5!
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