Hisaab Barabar begins with a sleepy, small-town charm. It has the simplicity of an early 2010s sit-com, also because it is helmed by Ashwni Dhir, known for writing chirpy comedy shows like Lapataganj (2009-2014) and Chidiya Ghar (2011-2017), among others. Its characters have a certain liveliness which is refreshing.
Take Madhavan’s Radhe Shyam, a sincere ticket collector who is obsessed with numbers and maintaining a balance in finances. He was a CA aspirant who had to take up the job after his father’s untimely death. Radhe is a quintessential sit-com hero, who can find interesting solutions to difficult situations. However, when put into the format of a feature film, he ceases to be as striking. What was simple and sweet becomes dreary and repetitive.
The writing has a television hangover in the way Ashwni imagines the jokes and scenarios. The dialogues are didactic. When Neil Nitin Mukesh’s character, Mickey Mehta, is introduced, it is through a remark made about him by another character: “Jiske paas paisa nahi hota uski koi izzat nahi karta, jiske paas paisa hota hai, wo kisi ki izzat nahi karta”. The stage is set.
Mickey is a business tycoon, who owns a bank and secretly steals a miniscule amount from the accounts of his customers. Radhe notices this and goes to highlight the discrepancy to the bank only to be hastily shown the door. Until, he discovers a growing scam and similar defaults in other bank accounts. Radhe reaches the police with documents of proof where a familiar face of the cop in-charge, P Subhash (Kirti Kulhari) treats him like a stranger.
The film diverges into an unnecessary love story between Radhe and Kirti’s character. The two have a chance meeting in a train. They are also related through another small interaction they had in the past, when Radhe rejected her for marriage owing to her math being weak. “Ladki ka ganit kachcha hai, hisaab kaise karegi?”, he reasons.
The repetitive inclusion of the phrase ‘Hisaab Barabar’ in the dialogues is tiring. Radhe uses that analogy for everything in his life. When his kid asks him the reason for separating with his ex-wife, Radhe says, “Hamara hisaab nahi mila”. He advises the kid to drink milk, because, “Hisaab Barabar kar paoge.” He takes extra oranges from the seller after giving more money, because – you get the drill. The story doesn’t lift away from these touch-and-go moments, leaving absolutely no space for engaging with the character on a deeper level. In the middle of its tacky word-game, the narrative arcs remain hisaab-less.
Even the performances lack a sense of balance. Madhavan maintains an innocent restraint here, but it feels more staged than authentic. He succeeds in maintaining the outer facade but falters in some smaller moments.
Although his presence remains pleasing in an otherwise dull film. Kirti’s strong screen-appeal feels lost here as she gets a character like any other woman tough-cop. Neil, who is back after a long break, doesn’t have a strong persona either. His portrayal of a nasty business tycoon feels like a rehash of all his previous negative roles.
Hisaab Barabar drags a lot with uninspired scenes and bland comedy. Much of what it imagines as humor turns into a loud, dated snooze-fest. While talking about a bank scam and its perils, it becomes too gimmicky to ever pay any serious heed to.
The film may have worked if it came out in 2013 as a TV show with 20-minute episodes. Then, Radhe pulling out his catchphrase could have seemed authentic; his comic-timing shredded in naivety could have induced a spark. But now in 2025, it remains a doused fire, a natural far-cry.
Film: Hisaab Barabar
Director: Ashwni Dhir
Cast: R Madhavan, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Kirti Kulhari, Rashami Desai
Streamer: ZEE5