Indian actor R. Madhavan confronts the brutal banking system in the financial thriller Hisaab Barabar, which will premiere on the streaming platform ZEE5 Global.
The film, which had its world premiere at the Indian International Film Festival last year, follows a meticulous railway ticket collector who discovers subtle discrepancies in his bank, leading him down a dangerous path to systemic corruption.
Directed by "Office Office" creator Ashwni Dhir and produced by Jio Studios and SP Cinecorp, Madhavan collaborates with Neil Nitin Mukesh and Kirti Kulhari to tell a story that explores the power of ordinary citizens against institutional fraud. Madhavan stars as Radhe Mohan Sharma, whose simple pursuit of accounting accuracy leads him into an escalating battle for justice against influential banker Mickey Mehta (Mukesh). war.
The premise of the story resonated personally with Madhavan, who found himself increasingly frustrated by unsolicited text messages and notifications about small bank transactions. "I started to feel uncomfortable that someone could access my account and add or subtract at will," he told me type.
This daily frustration reflects the film’s larger theme of personal dignity in the face of systemic problems. "The story is about an ordinary person and the power they wield when their beliefs are challenged or their dignity is threatened," Madhavan explains. “So, I immediately said yes to the film.”
For the veteran actor who has maintained stardom for twenty-five years, playing an ordinary citizen presented unique challenges. "Being able to play a normal person and make yourself look vulnerable and still be able to be him after 25 years of being a celebrity was hard for me," Madhavan said. "I had to dig deep and bring the heroism to the body in a conversational way. I wanted to make it real as a human being without having to be heroic in the endeavor."
The actor credits Diehl's direction for helping shape the performance. "His Office is actually a legendary series. When we were filming there, I saw how much people in Derry admired and respected him," he said. "So I just had to hold his finger and play the role as he asked."
The film was shot in Delhi in the post-Covid period and the production faced logistical challenges, especially while shooting in crowded railway stations. However, these public spaces lead to unexpected moments of validation. During nighttime shoots, crowds of up to 500 people gather, engrossed in the story unfolding before them.
“There is a scene in the film where the hero and the villain have a public confrontation in the evening market,” recalls Madhavan. "It was amazing to see everyone pull out their phones. They were actually talking to each other about 'He's telling the truth... I'm telling you, this accountant is a total fraud.' So everyone was involved in the scene. There was a lot of talk. I had never seen anything like this happen and it was very inspiring to me and it was an unforgettable thing.”
The film comes at a time when India's global influence is rapidly expanding, a theme that resonates throughout the narrative. “When I say New India, I also mean New India,” explains Madhavan. "The New Indian is a very powerful person. His image around the world has changed. Indians are in some very iconic positions, iconic countries and iconic platforms, which gives them a new identity. With a new identity comes new strength.”
He believes that this changing national identity brings with it more responsibilities. "People look at you and want you to be that very smart, caring Indian that everyone thinks you are. So we need to hold on to our sense of citizenship, our commitment to society... No matter what small action you take, it's A reflection on the entire country.”
"Hisaab Barabar" marks part of an unusually prolific period for Madhavan, who has completed nine films in the past two years - a significant increase from the four films he made in the previous 12 years. His upcoming projects span multiple languages and genres, including "Sankaran" with Akshay Kumar and Ananya Panday; Tamil drama "Test" with Nayanthara, Siddharth and Meera Jasmine; and "Adhirshtasaali", "Bridge" , "De De Pyaar De 2", "Aap Jaisa Koi" and "Dhurandhar".
Known for his meticulous preparation for roles, Madhavan has built a distinguished career in Tamil and Hindi films over the past 25 years. After breaking through in Tamil romantic dramas, he successfully crossed over to Hindi films while maintaining a strong presence in both the industries. His recent directorial debut, Rocketry, showcases his ever-expanding creative ambitions. The actor takes particular pride in maintaining linguistic authenticity throughout his bilingual career. "I was very particular about my accents not overlapping," he explains. "As a Tamil actor, I want to make sure that I don't bring Hindi into Tamil. As a Hindi actor, I don't want Tamil to reflect into my Hindi. So. What I do is memorize all my lines completely... doing that gives me the freedom to perform the way I want."
This attention to detail extended to his work in Hisaab Barabar, where he employed the same rigorous preparation, especially in a scene that required complex calculations and was shot in one take without any editing. "It was necessary for this role too because if I told you I was good with numbers, if I told you I fell in love with it and I didn't make a mistake - look at the actor's blunders and editing too much, it would be contrary to The original intention of creating the character.”
The film will be available in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu on ZEE5 Global from January 24.