“Hisaab Barabar” Film Review: A Miscalculated Drama with Overdrawn Humor and Insufficient Interest

🌟🌟💫 (2.5 out of 5 Stars)

Well, butter my biscuit and call me Review Rani! I’m here to serve you a fresh, piping hot take on the latest Hindi film, ‘Hisaab Barabar.’ Now, strap in, boys and girls, because this ride is about as smooth as a rickshaw on a pothole-filled Mumbai street. 😂

‘Hisaab Barabar’ is essentially a ‘David vs Goliath’ deal. Our hero, ticket collector Radhe Mohan Sharma (R. Madhavan), locks horns with a corrupt banking system, with the fury of a housewife discovering her dhaniya is stale. A minor banking error (classic, right?) sends Radhe spiralling into a scam bigger than my auntie’s annual Diwali party guest list. But can our everyday man bring down the big bad bank? Well, I won’t spoil the ending, but let’s just say it’s as predictable as Mumbai’s monsoon.

Now, let’s give credit where it’s due. Director Ashwni Dhir tries to deliver a social message, showing us that overlooking the small stuff can lead to monstrous problems. It’s a relatable concept, especially for us middle-class folks, who often overlook minor discrepancies because, let’s face it, we are busier than a dosa stall at Sunday market.

But alas, the execution is as clumsy as a drunk uncle at a wedding. The first half of the film was like a car stuck in Mumbai traffic – lots of honking but going nowhere. Attempting to juggle humour with serious issues, the film face-plants harder than a Bollywood newbie in their debut dance number. The humour is as flat as a week-old soda, and the exaggerated background score makes you cringe harder than when your relatives start asking about your marriage plans.

The characters are as flat as rotis made by a novice cook. R. Madhavan, as our righteous hero, does his best, but the poor guy is left carrying the entire film like a dabbawala during lunch hour. Kirti Kulhari’s performance swings like a pendulum between vulnerability and strength without any rhyme or reason. Neil Nitin Mukesh, as the scheming bank owner, is as frightening as a puppy wearing a Halloween costume, while Rashmi Desai’s character is about as necessary as a comb for a bald man.

The music? Well, let’s just say it’s more forgettable than your ex. The screenplay and direction are as nuanced as a sledgehammer, transforming what could have been a sharp, relevant drama into a dull, uninspired mess.

In conclusion, while ‘Hisaab Barabar’ deserves a pat on the back for attempting to highlight a social issue, it stumbles and falls on its face due to its lacklustre storytelling and execution. The message is lost in a sea of caricatured characters, uneven pacing, and humour that’s about as funny as a tax audit.

Rani’s Wrap-Up: ‘Hisaab Barabar’ is like a plate of biryani with no masala – it has the right ingredients but lacks the flavour. It’s an opportunity missed the same way you miss your alarm on Monday morning. But hey, who am I to judge? Go watch it, if you have nothing better to do, like counting the number of potholes in your street. 😉