There are very few movies which truly become classics and Jaane bhi do yaaron is one which will definitely be included in that list.. This movie is what you call as cult classics. It is a slap in the face of corruption, a satire on the rampant deep rooted corruption in the bureaucracy and the nexus between the rich and the bureaucrats. The movie has incredible wit and humour. The remarkable part about the movie is the use of humour as a tool to unmask the ugly face of the corruption.
The movie was made on a small budget by and with people who were all newcomers to in the industry. It shows very well how money does rule the world. It is a reflection of the society we live in, which is ruled by one thing only and that is money. How the rich and the powerful get away with murder, which is what is happening even at present . Though the end is a bit disappointing, as a matter of fact the first time I watched the movie , I was absolutely outraged at such injustice , obviously at the age of 10 I didn’t quite understand the satire which was the core of the movie. But the movie would not have made such a deep impact if the ending had been any different. It brings out the vulnerability of the common man in the face of the corrupt practices of the rich and powerful.
It even made successful dig at the press of how even some torchbearers of the people can fall prey to the lure of money. And even the manipulation by Shobha ji of poor unsuspecting Vinod is very interesting , and provides quite an insight into how a woman can wield her charm over a man.
There were several scenes in the movie that left me rolling on the floor, quite literally, for instance the scene where drunken Om Puri comes across Satish Shah’s dead body in a coffin and then tows him away. The climax is hilarious where everybody in the cast gate crash an on going play and then what follows is just chaos .The performances are brilliant, especially Satish Shah as the corpse was brilliant with a absolute dead pan expression. The movie wasn’t shot well because a lot of times it was too dark to see the faces of the actors, but considering that they were all newcomers it can easily be overlooked.