Madhavan’s Railway to Redemption Has Delays, But Reaches Its Destination!
Ashwni Dhir’s Hisaab Barabar starts brilliantly, with Madhavan delivering a cracking performance as a ticket collector who accidentally becomes a corporate whistleblower. The chap’s got that everyman charm down pat… think his 3 Idiots days but with more righteous indignation and fewer engineering jokes.
The film’s opening act is genuinely engaging, setting up a David-versus-Goliath tale that promises proper thrills. Madhavan anchors proceedings with his trademark blend of bumbling determination and moral clarity, making even the dodgiest dialogue sound almost profound.
Sadly, director Dhir can’t quite maintain the momentum. What begins as focused storytelling gradually descends into tonal confusion-part social commentary, part melodrama, with comic relief that lands about as gracefully as a derailed train. Neil Nitin Mukesh hams it up deliciously as the corporate villain, whilst Preity Kulhari remains criminally underused.
The technical elements are workmanlike rather than inspired, but Madhavan’s committed performance elevates material that could have been thoroughly mediocre. It’s formulaic filmmaking with genuine heart, rather like a delayed train that eventually gets you where you need to go.
Rating: 7/10
(including 1 extra point purely for Madhavan making earnestness look effortless)
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