Ashwni Dhir, known for directing Ajay Devgn-starrers such as Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? (2010) and Son of Sardar (2012), is awaiting the commercial release of his latest film, Hisaab Barabar. Revolving around a bank scam with R. Madhavan, Kirti Kulhari and Neil Nitin Mukesh in the lead, Hisaab Barabar was screened at the 55th International Film Festival of India in Goa, where we caught up with the director for a chat.

How did the journey of Hisaab Barabar start?

Ashwni Dhir: Our writer, Ritesh Shastri, brought us a story. This story is not about little scams in one particular bank because it’s not one bank’s story. It’s not talking about big banking scams such as people taking money on loan and not returning it.

Can you give us some context to the film’s subject?

Ashwni Dhir: Typically, we see the interest rate on a Fixed Deposit (FD) because we save it for interest. But we don’t know the interest rate on the money in the savings accounts because we use that money for our regular expenses. The interest rate on savings accounts is different in different banks as per slabs. Nobody bothers about it because we get a quarterly message about the interest credited to our account. But this interest is calculated daily as and when money is debited from or credited to our savings account. Normally, today, a bank gives a 3-4% interest rate on the savings account.

For example, if you get a monthly interest of ten rupees on your savings account, then it amounts to 120 rupees a year which you don’t even bother about. But a bank has crores of customers. Even if you take 120 rupees from even half of their customers, it is a scam of crores of rupees a year.

What is the story of Hisaab Barabar?

Ashwni Dhir: The character played by R. Madhavan is obsessed with numbers. The moment he sees numbers he starts calculating because he wanted to become a chartered accountant but couldn’t. He works as a ticket collector on the railways. One day, he notices some discrepancy of 15-20 rupees in his account and he goes after the bank and the bank targets him in return. He exposes the scam but nobody believes him. That’s the story. See, these scams don’t happen overnight. These things happen over a few years.

How did R. Madhavan react to the story?

Ashwni Dhir: When they hired me, Madhavan had already approved the storyline. When I got the script, it was a different version. Then my writer Purva Naresh and I wrote another version. The idea came from Ritesh Shastri but the story was different. Madhavan liked the story and was already on board before I joined. When we narrated the draft to him, he was very happy.

How is R. Madhavan as an actor?

Ashwni Dhir: He is a very good actor. An actor is as good as the script. What we have to say is more important than just our ability to speak.

When did Neil Nitin Mukesh come on board?

Ashwni Dhir: He is playing the banker. I suggested Neil’s name but the producers spoke to the actors.

Where was Hisaab Barabar shot at?

Ashwni Dhir: We wanted to shoot at a live location. So, we shot the film at Ghaziabad railway station because it looks vintage. We wanted to show old Delhi, but it’s not possible to shoot in Delhi because it’s too crowded. We shot at the Ghaziabad railway station from morning to evening for four days. The crowd there was less and manageable.

Your last film was Guest Iin London starring Kartik Aaryan.

Ashwni Dhir: We tried making a sequel to Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? but it didn’t turn out to be good. When you make a film just for the sake of it, it doesn’t work. If you really have a story to tell, then you should make the sequel. But finding a story because you want to make a sequel doesn’t work like it’s happening nowadays.

When we made Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?, we had a story to tell. And it turned out to be good. Then we wanted to make a sequel, so it was about money. In our culture, we have been taught to worship Saraswati, and Lakshmi will follow. It is a simple funda. But we do the opposite. Sequels are made to cash in on the original film’s popularity, not because they want to tell a story. There will be an opening. It’s not rocket science. Everyone knows it.

You directed Son of Sardar but you’re not directing its sequel.

Ashwni Dhir: Ajay Devgn approached me for the sequel but I didn’t have a story to tell. Ajay spoke to me after COVID-19 as well when he was shooting for Maidaan that we should make a sequel to Son of Sardar. I was trying to work out a story but it was not coming from the heart. I couldn’t give them a story. So, they must have gotten it from someone else. Also, because of what happened with Guest Iin London, it created a mental block that if I don’t have a story to tell then I shouldn’t do the film. It will become a mess.

What is the release plan for Hisaab Barabar?

Ashwni Dhir: I have delivered the film. Jio Studios will be able to tell you about the release plans.