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{{short description|1983 Hindi-language satirical black comedy}}
{{About|1983 film|2007 film with a similar title|Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (2007 film)}}
{{About|1983 film|2007 film with a similar title|Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (2007 film)}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2014}}
{{use Indian English|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name          = Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro
| name          = Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro
Line 9: Line 9:
| director      = [[Kundan Shah]]
| director      = [[Kundan Shah]]
| producer      = [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC]]
| producer      = [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC]]
| writer        = Ranjit Kapoor<br />[[Satish Kaushik]]<br />
| writer        = Ranjit Kapoor<br />[[Satish Kaushik]]
| screenplay    = [[Sudhir Mishra]]<br />[[Kundan Shah]]
| screenplay    = [[Sudhir Mishra]]<br />[[Kundan Shah]]
| story          = [[Sudhir Mishra]]<br />[[Kundan Shah]]
| story          = [[Sudhir Mishra]]<br />[[Kundan Shah]]
Line 36: Line 36:
}}
}}


'''''Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro''''' ({{translation|Just Let It Go, Friends}}) is a 1983 Indian [[Hindi]]-language [[satire|satirical]] [[black comedy]] film directed by [[Kundan Shah]] and produced by [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC]]. It is a dark satire on the rampant corruption in [[India]]n politics, bureaucracy, news media and business, and stars an ensemble cast including [[Naseeruddin Shah]], [[Ravi Baswani]], [[Om Puri]], [[Pankaj Kapur]], [[Satish Shah]], [[Satish Kaushik]], [[Bhakti Barve]] and [[Neena Gupta]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenindia.com/old/fullstory.php?content_id=8959|title=ANALYSIS: On-screen journos|date=3 September 2004|publisher=Screen}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050220/spectrum/main5.htm|title=Cinemascoop|date=20 February 2005|work=The Tribune}}</ref>
'''''Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro''''' ({{translation|''Let It Go, Mates''}}) is a 1983 Indian [[Hindi]]-language [[Satire (film and television)|satirical]] [[black comedy]] film directed by [[Kundan Shah]] and produced by the [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC]]. It is a dark satire on the rampant [[Corruption in India#Politics|corruption in Indian politics]], [[Corruption in India#Bureaucracy|bureaucracy]], [[Mass media in India|news media]], and business. The film stars an ensemble cast including [[Naseeruddin Shah]], [[Ravi Baswani]], [[Om Puri]], [[Pankaj Kapur]], [[Satish Shah]], [[Satish Kaushik]], [[Bhakti Barve]] and [[Neena Gupta]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenindia.com/old/fullstory.php?content_id=8959|title=ANALYSIS: On-screen journos|date=3 September 2004|publisher=Screen}}{{dead link|date=November 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050220/spectrum/main5.htm|title=Cinemascoop|date=20 February 2005|work=The Tribune}}</ref> [[Blowup|''Blow-Up'']], a 1966 English-language film directed by [[Michelangelo Antonioni]] in which a photographer unwittingly takes photographs of the killing, was an inspiration for a part of ''Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro''.<ref>{{cite web|date=14 May 2013|title=Director's Perspective... Part I|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tWPgvHVT5s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/1tWPgvHVT5s |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|access-date=9 October 2017|publisher=NFDC(cinemasofindia)}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=15 November 2012|title=Celebrating 30 Years Of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro With Filmmaker Kundan Shah At MFCC 2012|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4Cn5Z93zK4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/h4Cn5Z93zK4 |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|publisher=Comic Con India}}{{cbignore}}</ref>


Kundan Shah won the 1984 [[Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director]] for his work. The film was part of the [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC]] Retrospective at [[India International Film Festival]] in 2006.<ref>[http://www.iffigoa.org/iffi2006/retro-films-det_aid_179_cid_10.php Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (Who Pays the Piper)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223193847/http://www.iffigoa.org/iffi2006/retro-films-det_aid_179_cid_10.php |date=23 February 2009 }} [[India International Film Festival]] Official website.</ref>
Kundan Shah won the 1984 [[Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director]] for his work. The film was part of the [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC]] Retrospective at [[India International Film Festival]] in 2006.<ref>[http://www.iffigoa.org/iffi2006/retro-films-det_aid_179_cid_10.php Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (Who Pays the Piper)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223193847/http://www.iffigoa.org/iffi2006/retro-films-det_aid_179_cid_10.php |date=23 February 2009 }} [[India International Film Festival]] Official website.</ref>


==Plot==
==Plot==
Professional photographers Vinod Chopra ([[Naseeruddin Shah]]) and Sudhir Mishra ([[Ravi Baswani]]) open a photo studio in the prestigious [[Haji Ali]] area in Bombay, and hope to make enough money to keep it running. After a disastrous start, they are given some work by the editor of "Khabardar", a publication that exposes the scandalous lives of the rich and the famous. They accept it and start working with the editor, Shobha Sen ([[Bhakti Barve]]), on a story exposing the dealings between an unscrupulous builder, Tarneja ([[Pankaj Kapoor]]), and corrupt Municipal Commissioner D'Mello ([[Satish Shah]]). During their investigation, they find out that another builder Ahuja ([[Om Puri]]) who is Tarneja's business rival is also involved in this dealing to get a contract for building 4 flyovers from D'Mello.


While working on their story, Sudhir and Vinod decide to enter a photography contest that carries prize money of Rs. 5000/-, and take a number of photographs all over the city. On developing their pictures, in one of the photographs, they see a man shooting someone and when they enlarged that part of the photo, they realize that the killer is none other than Tarneja. They immediately return to the scene of the crime and find the body lying behind the bushes. Before the duo can get to the body, it disappears, but they manage to retrieve one of a pair of gold cuff links. Sometime later, they attend the inauguration of a bridge dedicated to the memory of late Municipal Commissioner D'Mello who is supposed to have died of a terminal disease. There they discover the other cuff link. They return at night and dig up the area and unearth a coffin containing the dead body of D'Mello.
Professional photographers Vinod Chopra and Sudhir Mishra open a photo studio in the prestigious [[Haji Ali]] area in Bombay. After a disastrous start, they are given some work by Shobha Sen, the editor of ''Khabardar'' ({{translation|''Beware''}}, a pun on ''khabar'' meaning news), a publication that exposes the scandalous lives of the rich and the famous. Impressed with their work, Shobha hires them for a story about the connection between the Municipal Commissioner D'Mello and Tarneja, a builder. They find Tarneja and his business rival Ahuja working together to bribe D'Mello in order to win the contracts for construction of four fly-overs. Shobha asks the two photographers to create a rift between Tarneja and Ahuja. Vinod, impersonating [[Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai? (1980 film)|Albert Pinto]], leads Tarneja to believe that Ahuja, with Shobha's assistance, is trying to cheat him. Tarneja and Ahuja fight until Tarneja's secretary Priya arrives with Assistant Municipal Commissioner Srivastav and tells them that D'Mello has given the contracts to neither Tarneja nor Ahuja but to someone else.


[[Image:Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro - 1983 - Draupadi Cheer Haran Scene.png|thumb|200px|left|The Mahabharata scene is considered to be one of the major highlights of the film, and has been praised for its humour.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wdVHFs8WjwEC&q=Jaane+Bhi+Do+Yaaro:+Seriously+Funny+Since+1983,|title=Jaane Bhee Do Yaaro: Seriously Funny since 1983|last=Singh|first=Jai Arjun|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers|year=2012|isbn=9789350292785}}</ref>]]
Meanwhile, Sudhir and Vinod decide to enter a photography contest promising Rs. 5000/- and take a number of photos all over the city. In one of the photos, they see a man shooting someone and after enlarging it, they realize that the killer is Tarneja. They return to the park where they shot that photo and eventually find out the crime scene. They find the body lying behind the bushes but before the duo can get to the body, it disappears, but they manage to retrieve one of a pair of gold cuff links.


They take several photographs of the corpse, and wheel it with them with the hopes of exposing Tarneja. However, the body disappears and they lie to Shobha saying that the body is hidden safely with them. Shobha, in turn, starts blackmailing Tarneja. He invites her, Vinod and Sudhir for dinner and plants a time bomb to kill them. Unfortunately, the bomb explodes prematurely and the trio escapes.
Sometime later, Srivastav has become the new commissioner. Tarneja has built a fly-over, dedicating it to the memory of late D'Mello, who he says died of a terminal disease. Vinod and Sudhir attend the inauguration of the fly-over and discover the other cuff link there. They return at night and dig up the area and unearth a coffin containing the dead body of D'Mello. They take several photos but lose the corpse again. Shobha starts blackmailing Tarneja with the photos. He invites her, Vinod and Sudhir for dinner and plants a time bomb to kill them. The bomb explodes after the three escape. They later find out from the news that the fly-over built in the memory of D'Mello collapsed and the police suspect sabotage from Vinod and Sudhir. The duo learn about Shobha's blackmail and disassociate from her.


Vinod and Sudhir find out that the body is with Tarneja's rival, Ahuja who had, in an inebriated condition, carried the coffin to his farmhouse. They steal the corpse but not before Tarneja, Ahuja, the new Municipal Commissioner Srivastav, Shobha and others also get involved resulting in a series of comic mix-ups.
Vinod and Sudhir find out that the body is with Ahuja who had, in an inebriated condition, carried the coffin to his farmhouse. They steal the corpse but not before Tarneja, Ahuja, Srivastav, Shobha and others also get involved resulting in a series of comic mix-ups, resulting in Vinod and Sudhir having to hide D'Mello's body in a play production of the ''[[Mahabharata]]''.


The climax is set upon a stage dramatization of the [[Mahabharata]], particularly the enactment of the [[Draupadi#Game of dice and humiliation|''Draupadi Cheer-Haran'']] episode, which is turned on its head with the duo and the group following them inserting themselves into the scene. The iconic sequence also includes a scene from the ill-fated romance of [[Jahangir|Salim]] and [[Anarkali]] with the corpse playing Anarkali.
Vinod and Sudhir present their evidence to the police when they arrive at the theatre. Tarneja threatens to take Ahuja, Shobha and Srivastav down with him. Srivastav brokers a deal between the four of them. He frames Vinod and Sudhir for the collapse of the bridge, jailing the two. In the final scene, Vinod and Sudhir are shown released from prison. Still in their prison clothes, they make a symbolic cut-throat gesture.
 
In the end, the police arrive and Vinod and Sudhir present their evidence to the police officer. Srivastava, being the Assistant Municipal Commissioner, tells the officer to wait a few minutes before arresting Tarneja. Tarneja tells Ahuja and Shobha that if he goes to jail, he would make sure that their malpractices are also exposed. In a twist ending, they all come to an agreement and Srivastava manages to pin the murder of Commissioner D'Mello and the collapse of the bridge on Vinod and Sudhir. In the final scene, Vinod and Sudhir are shown several months/years later released from prison, still in their prison clothes. They turn to the camera and make a symbolic cut-throat gesture, signifying the death of justice and truth.


== Cast ==
== Cast ==
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* [[Ravi Baswani]] as Sudhir Mishra
* [[Ravi Baswani]] as Sudhir Mishra
* [[Om Puri]] as Ahuja, a corrupt contractor
* [[Om Puri]] as Ahuja, a corrupt contractor
* [[Pankaj Kapur]] as Tarneja, a corrupt contractor who murders the Municipal Commissioner
* [[Pankaj Kapur]] as Tarneja, a corrupt contractor who murders D'Mello
* [[Satish Shah]] as D'Mello, Municipal Commissioner
* [[Satish Shah]] as D'Mello, Municipal Commissioner
* [[Bhakti Barve]] as Shobha Sen, editor of the "Khabardar" magazine (Dubbing by [[Anita Kanwar]])
* [[Bhakti Barve]] as Shobha Sen, editor of the "Khabardar" magazine (voice dubbed by [[Anita Kanwar]])
* [[Rajesh Puri]] as Kamdar, assistant editor of the magazine "Khabardar"
* [[Rajesh Puri]] as Kamdar, assistant editor of the "Khabardar" magazine
* [[Satish Kaushik]] as Ashok Namboodirippad, Tarneja's assistant
* [[Satish Kaushik]] as Ashok Namboodirippad, Tarneja's assistant
* [[Neena Gupta]] as Priya, Tarneja's Secretary
* [[Neena Gupta]] as Priya, Tarneja's secretary
* [[Deepak Qazir]] as Srivastav, Assistant Municipal Commissioner
* [[Deepak Qazir]] as Srivastav, Assistant Municipal Commissioner
* [[Zafar Sanjari]]
* [[Zafar Sanjari]]
* [[Ashok Banthia]] as Reporter
* [[Ashok Banthia]] as News correspondent
* [[Vidhu Vinod Chopra]] as theater actor playing [[Dushasana]]
* [[Vidhu Vinod Chopra]] as theater actor playing [[Dushasana]]
* [[Anupam Kher]]. voiceover for Architect Tulyaani at construction site
* [[Anupam Kher]] as voiceover for Architect Tulyaani at construction site
* [[Ajay Wadhavkar]], [[Police Constable]] under the bridge
* [[Ajay Wadhavkar]] as [[Police Constable]] under the bridge


== Reception ==
== Reception ==
The film was not immediately successful at the box office when released, but was eventually regarded as a [[cult classic]], which is reflected in a recent comment by Indian Express that the film's high recall value even after 37 years, is due to "it(s) superb satirical depiction of the essential, timeless, human condition: supreme self-interest versus some moral/ethical anchor. What made the depiction particularly powerful was its setting: India of the early '80s".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/653804/ |title=The tragic comedy of the '80s |work=The Indian Express|date=30 July 2010 |access-date=2 October 2012}}</ref>
[[Image:Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro - 1983 - Draupadi Cheer Haran Scene.png|thumb|200px|right|The Mahabharata scene is considered to be one of the major highlights of the film, and has been praised for its humour.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wdVHFs8WjwEC&q=Jaane+Bhi+Do+Yaaro:+Seriously+Funny+Since+1983,|title=Jaane Bhee Do Yaaro: Seriously Funny since 1983|last=Singh|first=Jai Arjun|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers|year=2012|isbn=9789350292785}}</ref>]]
 
In 2010, Dhiraj Nayyar in his [[op-ed]] for [[The Indian Express]] wrote, "In 1983, the average cinema-goer would perhaps have empathised closely with the two heroes and their tangle with the establishment. In contrast, in 2010, the average cinema-goer can perhaps only sympathise with the heroes given that it is perfectly possible to prosper without seeking favour from or getting entangled with a small cabal of crooks."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-tragicomedy-of-the-80s/ |title=The tragic comedy of the '80s |work=The Indian Express|date=30 July 2010 |access-date=2 October 2012}}</ref> In a retrospective review in 2020, Jyoti Kanyal of ''[[India Today]]'' wrote, "The film was released in 1983, but it is still relevant in the current times, given the current socio-political state of the country. In 1983, the year before Indira Gandhi's assassination, the nation was not in the best of moods. People were raising voices against corruption and intolerance. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro chose to laugh away the bruise. It didn't hesitate from references and cross-references to politicians and scams."<ref>{{cite web |last=Janyal |first=Jyoti |date=13 August 2020 |title=Throwback Thursday: 37 years of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, the most hilarious Bollywood satire ever |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/standpoint/story/throwback-thursday-37-years-of-jaane-bhi-do-yaaro-the-most-hilarious-bollywood-satire-ever-1710807-2020-08-13 |website=[[India Today]] |access-date=29 January 2025}}</ref>


==Re-release==
==Re-release==
A digitally restored print of the film was released on 2 November 2012 at selected theaters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/jaane-bhi-do-yaaro-rereleases/1/227229.html |title=Cult classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro to tickle your funny bone again, re-releases today : Bollywood, News - India Today |publisher=Indiatoday.intoday.in |date=2 November 2012 |access-date=23 October 2013}}</ref> The film opened to an enthusiastic welcome from the media<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/review_review-jaane-bhi-do-yaaro-is-the-best-film-of-the-year_1759825 |title=Review: Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro is the best film of the year - Entertainment - DNA |publisher=Dnaindia.com |date=3 November 2012 |access-date=23 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/jaane-bhi-do-yaaro-review-why-the-angry-brand-of-heroism-is-still-relevant/303501-8-66.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105051126/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/jaane-bhi-do-yaaro-review-why-the-angry-brand-of-heroism-is-still-relevant/303501-8-66.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 November 2012 |title='Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro' Review: Why the angry brand of heroism is still relevant |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |date=2 November 2012 |access-date=23 October 2013}}</ref> and discerning filmgoers.
A digitally restored print of the film was released on 2 November 2012 at selected theaters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/jaane-bhi-do-yaaro-rereleases-120294-2012-11-02 |title=Cult classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro to tickle your funny bone again, re-releases today : Bollywood, News - India Today |publisher=Indiatoday.intoday.in |date=2 November 2012 |access-date=23 October 2013}}</ref> The film opened to an enthusiastic welcome from the media.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/review_review-jaane-bhi-do-yaaro-is-the-best-film-of-the-year_1759825 |title=Review: Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro is the best film of the year - Entertainment - DNA |publisher=Dnaindia.com |date=3 November 2012 |access-date=23 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/jaane-bhi-do-yaaro-review-why-the-angry-brand-of-heroism-is-still-relevant/303501-8-66.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105051126/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/jaane-bhi-do-yaaro-review-why-the-angry-brand-of-heroism-is-still-relevant/303501-8-66.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 November 2012 |title='Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro' Review: Why the angry brand of heroism is still relevant |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |date=2 November 2012 |access-date=23 October 2013}}</ref>


== Awards ==
== Awards ==
* [[31st National Film Awards|1984]] : [[Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director]]: [[Kundan Shah]]<ref>[http://www.nfdcindia.com/view_film.php?film_id=27&categories_id=3 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro' on NFDC website]</ref>
'''[[31st National Film Awards]]:'''
* '''[[32nd Filmfare Awards]]'''
* [[Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director]]: [[Kundan Shah]]<ref>[http://www.nfdcindia.com/view_film.php?film_id=27&categories_id=3 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro' on NFDC website]</ref>
** '''Won''' [[Filmfare Best Comedian Award]]: [[Ravi Baswani]]
 
** '''Nominations'''
; [[32nd Filmfare Awards]]<nowiki>:</nowiki>
*** Best Movie
 
*** Best Director - [[Kundan Shah]]
'''Won'''
*** Best Comic Actor - [[Satish Shah]]
 
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role|Best Comedian]] – [[Ravi Baswani]]


== Trivia ==
'''Nominated'''
* [[Blowup|''Blow-Up'']], a 1966 English-language film directed by [[Michelangelo Antonioni]] in which a photographer believes he may have witnessed a murder and unwittingly takes photographs of the killing, was an inspiration for ''Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro''.<ref>{{cite web|date=14 May 2013|title=Director's Perspective... Part I|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tWPgvHVT5s|access-date=9 October 2017|publisher=NFDC(cinemasofindia)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=15 November 2012|title=Celebrating 30 Years Of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro With Filmmaker Kundan Shah At MFCC 2012|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4Cn5Z93zK4|publisher=Comic Con India}}</ref> The filmmakers paid homage to ''Blow-Up'' by naming the park in which the murder occurs "Antonioni Park".
* The names of the lead characters – Vinod Chopra and Sudhir Mishra – came from film directors [[Vidhu Vinod Chopra]] and [[Sudhir Mishra]], who were assisting Kundan Shah in the movie.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-jaane-bhi-do-yaaro/20121102.htm |title=Review: Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro: The Five-Star Classic - Rediff.com Movies |work=Rediff.com |date=2 November 2012 |access-date=23 October 2013}}</ref> Sudhir Mishra co-wrote the script and assisted in directing the movie, while Vidhu Vinod Chopra was the production controller of the film.
* Vidhu Vinod Chopra played [[Dushasana]] in the Mahabharata play in the climax of the movie. He also played a photographer in the first half of the film, where a group of journalists interviews Tarneja, played by Pankaj Kapoor.


==Further reading==
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Film|Best Film]] – [[National Film Development Corporation of India]]
* ''[http://www.flipkart.com/jaane-bhi-do-yaaro-jai-book-9350290224 Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro: Seriously Funny Since 1983]'', by [[Jai Arjun Singh]]. 2010. Harpercollins India. {{ISBN|978-93-5029-022-4}}.
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Director|Best Director]] – [[Kundan Shah]]
* Best Comedian – [[Satish Shah]]


==See also==
==See also==
Line 103: Line 101:
==External links==
==External links==
* [http://in.rediff.com/movies/2004/jan/22film.htm What makes a perfect comedy?]
* [http://in.rediff.com/movies/2004/jan/22film.htm What makes a perfect comedy?]
* {{IMDb title|0085743|Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|jaane_bhi_do_yaarowho_pays_the_piper}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}


{{National Film Award Best First Film of a Director}}
{{National Film Award Best First Film of a Director}}
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[[Category:1983 films]]
[[Category:1983 films]]
[[Category:1980s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:1983 Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:1983 Indian films]]
[[Category:Indian black comedy films]]
[[Category:Indian black comedy films]]
[[Category:Films about photojournalists]]
[[Category:Films about photojournalists]]

Latest revision as of 05:25, 4 March 2026


This article is about 1983 film. For 2007 film with a similar title, see Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (2007 film).

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro
Film poster
Directed byKundan Shah
Produced byNFDC
Written byRanjit Kapoor
Satish Kaushik
Screenplay bySudhir Mishra
Kundan Shah
Story bySudhir Mishra
Kundan Shah
Starring
Music byVanraj Bhatia
CinematographyBinod Pradhan
Edited byRenu Saluja
Production
company
Distributed byUltra Media & Entertainment
Release date
  • 12 August 1983 (1983-08-12)
[1]
2 November 2012[2]
Running time
132 min
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget₹ 8-9 lakh[3]

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (transl. Let It Go, Mates) is a 1983 Indian Hindi-language satirical black comedy film directed by Kundan Shah and produced by the NFDC. It is a dark satire on the rampant corruption in Indian politics, bureaucracy, news media, and business. The film stars an ensemble cast including Naseeruddin Shah, Ravi Baswani, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapur, Satish Shah, Satish Kaushik, Bhakti Barve and Neena Gupta.[4][5] Blow-Up, a 1966 English-language film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni in which a photographer unwittingly takes photographs of the killing, was an inspiration for a part of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro.[6][7]

Kundan Shah won the 1984 Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director for his work. The film was part of the NFDC Retrospective at India International Film Festival in 2006.[8]

Plot[edit | edit source]

Professional photographers Vinod Chopra and Sudhir Mishra open a photo studio in the prestigious Haji Ali area in Bombay. After a disastrous start, they are given some work by Shobha Sen, the editor of Khabardar (transl. Beware, a pun on khabar meaning news), a publication that exposes the scandalous lives of the rich and the famous. Impressed with their work, Shobha hires them for a story about the connection between the Municipal Commissioner D'Mello and Tarneja, a builder. They find Tarneja and his business rival Ahuja working together to bribe D'Mello in order to win the contracts for construction of four fly-overs. Shobha asks the two photographers to create a rift between Tarneja and Ahuja. Vinod, impersonating Albert Pinto, leads Tarneja to believe that Ahuja, with Shobha's assistance, is trying to cheat him. Tarneja and Ahuja fight until Tarneja's secretary Priya arrives with Assistant Municipal Commissioner Srivastav and tells them that D'Mello has given the contracts to neither Tarneja nor Ahuja but to someone else.

Meanwhile, Sudhir and Vinod decide to enter a photography contest promising Rs. 5000/- and take a number of photos all over the city. In one of the photos, they see a man shooting someone and after enlarging it, they realize that the killer is Tarneja. They return to the park where they shot that photo and eventually find out the crime scene. They find the body lying behind the bushes but before the duo can get to the body, it disappears, but they manage to retrieve one of a pair of gold cuff links.

Sometime later, Srivastav has become the new commissioner. Tarneja has built a fly-over, dedicating it to the memory of late D'Mello, who he says died of a terminal disease. Vinod and Sudhir attend the inauguration of the fly-over and discover the other cuff link there. They return at night and dig up the area and unearth a coffin containing the dead body of D'Mello. They take several photos but lose the corpse again. Shobha starts blackmailing Tarneja with the photos. He invites her, Vinod and Sudhir for dinner and plants a time bomb to kill them. The bomb explodes after the three escape. They later find out from the news that the fly-over built in the memory of D'Mello collapsed and the police suspect sabotage from Vinod and Sudhir. The duo learn about Shobha's blackmail and disassociate from her.

Vinod and Sudhir find out that the body is with Ahuja who had, in an inebriated condition, carried the coffin to his farmhouse. They steal the corpse but not before Tarneja, Ahuja, Srivastav, Shobha and others also get involved resulting in a series of comic mix-ups, resulting in Vinod and Sudhir having to hide D'Mello's body in a play production of the Mahabharata.

Vinod and Sudhir present their evidence to the police when they arrive at the theatre. Tarneja threatens to take Ahuja, Shobha and Srivastav down with him. Srivastav brokers a deal between the four of them. He frames Vinod and Sudhir for the collapse of the bridge, jailing the two. In the final scene, Vinod and Sudhir are shown released from prison. Still in their prison clothes, they make a symbolic cut-throat gesture.

Cast[edit | edit source]

Reception[edit | edit source]

The Mahabharata scene is considered to be one of the major highlights of the film, and has been praised for its humour.[9]

In 2010, Dhiraj Nayyar in his op-ed for The Indian Express wrote, "In 1983, the average cinema-goer would perhaps have empathised closely with the two heroes and their tangle with the establishment. In contrast, in 2010, the average cinema-goer can perhaps only sympathise with the heroes given that it is perfectly possible to prosper without seeking favour from or getting entangled with a small cabal of crooks."[10] In a retrospective review in 2020, Jyoti Kanyal of India Today wrote, "The film was released in 1983, but it is still relevant in the current times, given the current socio-political state of the country. In 1983, the year before Indira Gandhi's assassination, the nation was not in the best of moods. People were raising voices against corruption and intolerance. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro chose to laugh away the bruise. It didn't hesitate from references and cross-references to politicians and scams."[11]

Re-release[edit | edit source]

A digitally restored print of the film was released on 2 November 2012 at selected theaters.[12] The film opened to an enthusiastic welcome from the media.[13][14]

Awards[edit | edit source]

31st National Film Awards:

32nd Filmfare Awards:

Won

Nominated

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro Movie". Times of India. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  2. ↑ "Re-release of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro historic moment: Kundan Shah". Firstpost. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  3. ↑ "RARE PIX: The Making of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro - Rediff.com Movies". Rediff.com. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  4. ↑ "ANALYSIS: On-screen journos". Screen. 3 September 2004.[dead link]
  5. ↑ "Cinemascoop". The Tribune. 20 February 2005.
  6. ↑ "Director's Perspective... Part I". NFDC(cinemasofindia). 14 May 2013. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  7. ↑ "Celebrating 30 Years Of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro With Filmmaker Kundan Shah At MFCC 2012". Comic Con India. 15 November 2012. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021.
  8. ↑ Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (Who Pays the Piper) Archived 23 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine India International Film Festival Official website.
  9. ↑ Singh, Jai Arjun (2012). Jaane Bhee Do Yaaro: Seriously Funny since 1983. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9789350292785.
  10. ↑ "The tragic comedy of the '80s". The Indian Express. 30 July 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  11. ↑ Janyal, Jyoti (13 August 2020). "Throwback Thursday: 37 years of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, the most hilarious Bollywood satire ever". India Today. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  12. ↑ "Cult classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro to tickle your funny bone again, re-releases today : Bollywood, News - India Today". Indiatoday.intoday.in. 2 November 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  13. ↑ "Review: Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro is the best film of the year - Entertainment - DNA". Dnaindia.com. 3 November 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  14. ↑ "'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro' Review: Why the angry brand of heroism is still relevant". Ibnlive.in.com. 2 November 2012. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  15. ↑ 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro' on NFDC website

External links[edit | edit source]

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