At this point in his career, Madhavan can do no wrong. The veteran actor’s latest movie, Hisaab Barabar, is on ZEE5 Global, and it further showcases Madhavan’s immense talent. A movie with a simple premise, a basic story, some cliché moments, and over-the-top plot points is still very enjoyable on the back of the Vikram Vedha actor’s quiet and earnest performance. The movie meanders a little and has some issues with tone, but otherwise is quite an enjoyable experience with something for everyone. Especially a villain that is a lot of fun to watch. Read on for my Hisaab Barabar review.

Please note that this review of Hisaab Barabar will be entirely spoiler-free. Despite the trailer spoiling a semi-important twist.

A Simple Story Executed Even Better

Directed by Ashwani Dhir, I enjoyed Hisaab Barabar quite a lot. The movie focuses on Radhe (Madhavan), a senior ticket collector at the local railways, obsessed with numbers and accounting. Failing to pursue a career as an accountant, Radhe sees the world through a balance sheet, always maintaining accounts and ensuring that everything has a balance to it. Sometimes, even his relationships, which is the only explanation we get as to why he’s a single dad. But it’s enough to move the story forward.

Despite his personal life being kind of mid, Radhe is a sweet, sensitive, and immensely charming single dad with a very strong sense of righteousness. After accidentally discovering some discrepancies in his bank account and that of others, Radhe stumbles onto a massive corrupt scheme by the bank to rob people of their hard-earned money. Radhe doesn’t stand for this and embarks on a one-man mission to bring justice to the everyday people the bank is scamming.

The idea behind Hisaab Barabar is pretty simple. But it’s the execution and writing by Dhir that compliments Madhavan’s performance superbly. Despite themes of corruption, wealth disparity in India, and fighting for the little man, the movie never preaches or goes into what I call ‘eye-roll’ territory. There are no long, drawn-out speeches about morality and justice, but instead we are treated to some very crisp dialogue, sold even harder by Madhavan nailing every scene he’s in. It’s just a simple story about a simple man who gets caught up in a billionaire’s evil plot, and his honest-man approach is the only recourse he has.

Hisaab Barabar Is Madhavan’s Movie

Madhavan is the biggest reason to watch Hisaab Barabar. He infuses Radhe with a sort of disarming charm, but also a rigid self-assuredness. While the movie itself flip-flops between romance, comedy, and thriller, Madhavan navigates the mishmash in a very organic way that never feels out of place. But speaking of—

The main antagonist of Hisaab Barabar is, of course, the evil banker, played by Neil Nitin Mukesh. Mukesh is having the time of his life, playing this over-the-top caricature of a villain. He is chewing an all-you-can-eat buffet of scenery, with deliveries that place him in an entirely different movie altogether. It doesn’t always work, but when it does, there’s an unhinged vibe from Mukesh that more than makes up for the times it doesn’t. The contrast between Radhe and the villain is even more jarring when they share scenes together.

Now, there aren’t many other characters the story focuses on other than Radhe. But one of my favorite actresses, Kirti Kulhari, plays a pivotal role. Kulhari is excellent, as always, as Radhe’s love interest, but also plays another role in the story that adds even more unexpected depth to this straightforward story. Kulhari herself is very much similar to Madhavan in the sense that her range is incredible, elevating any project she’s a part of. I only wish she had more to do here, but she still crushes every scene, regardless.

The Real Star Of The Movie Is The Writing

I haven’t been the biggest fan of writer-director Ashwani Dhir. His filmography has been largely misses for me. So I was pleasantly surprised at how well he wrote and directed Hisaab Barabar. The story is incredibly subtle, and while it hits all the right notes of character development and plot progression, it never feels formulaic. With the exception of one overly dramatic plot point that did not work for me, the movie respects its audience’s intelligence, never dumbing anything down. It’s a smart story that is incredibly self-aware and doesn’t try to be this convoluted thriller with dark twists and turns. Which is honestly refreshing. Dhir tells the story with an earnest approach that really makes the heartwarming elements hit much harder.

Hisaab Barabar works on many levels with a light-hearted approach that gets us invested in the character and his journey right away. It’s definitely worth a watch for the performances and the family-friendly story.