Film Impressions

REVIEW: Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola

PINK BUFFALOS AND RED HERRINGS

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro! remains a classic 30 years later because its insanity was directly proportional to Kundan Shah's anger with the system. Consistently absurd and relentlessly dark, it was funded by the state-run NFDC in what must have been a momentary lapse of judgment on its part. Today, in the age of big-studio productions, it’s nearly impossible to make an angry film; not unless you're totally bonkers (though Dibaker Banerjee came close with Shanghai last year). Clearly, Vishal Bharadwaj isn't. Inebriated, perhaps... And like Harry/Haria Mandola (Pankaj Kapur) there are flashes of brilliance in those drunken spells but equally, arrhythmic sequences of unmitigated boredom, which sabotage the potential Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola holds.

ESSAY: In Cinemas This Week

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

If you’re an avid watcher of Bengali films (as yours truly) Rajesh Sharma would be a familiar face. Alternately, you may remember him as Silk’s ‘mentor’ in The Dirty Picture or the cynical Delhi cop in No One Killed Jessica. But Sharma, who slips seamlessly into just about every kind of character, finally gets a starring role in debutant Sameer Sharma’s Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana––a film quite like authentic slow-cooked gravy which may not be very attractive to look at, but leaves a delicious aftertaste nevertheless.

Rajesh Sharma (in background), Vinod Nagpal and Kunal Kapoor

BOOK: Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro—Seriously Funny Since 1983

As the cult film by Kundan Shah prepares for a Nov 2nd re-release, we take a look at the book on the film by Jai Arjun Singh.

SMALL FILM, GIANT FOOTPRINT

Anyone who has ever watched Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro—and frankly, one doesn't know a soul who hasn't—has their favourite moment from the film. The easiest to recall are the 'thoda khao thoda phenko' scene at Commissioner D'Mello's Madh Island bungalow, the loony telephone episode at Tarneja's house, a drunk Ahuja mistaking DeMello's coffin for a car and 'towing' it away, and the Mahabharata climax where the entire cast gatecrashes a live performance with Dhritarashtra periodically intoning in sheer frustration, 'ye kya ho raha hai?' as emperor Akbar makes an inexplicable guest appearance.

Naseeruddin Shah and Ravi Baswani in a scene from the iconic film

Now there are two happy coincidences for Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro fans. NFDC, which is reviving its classics on DVD has recently brought out a new edition complete with an add-on disc about the making of the film and an interactive game, and Delhi-based journalist Jai Arjun Singh has written a witty, entertaining book in the film's 30th year, chronicling its fascinating journey from a nutty idea in Kundan Shah's head to an insane black comedy that has now achieved cult status as a nihilist classic or simply great social satire.

BOOK REVIEW: Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro—Seriously Funny Since 1983

SMALL FILM, GIANT FOOTPRINT

Anyone who has ever watched Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro—and frankly, one doesn't know a soul who hasn't—has their favourite moment from the film. The easiest to recall are the "thoda khao thoda phenko" scene at Commissioner DeMello's Madh Island bungalow, the loony telephone episode at Tarneja's house, a drunk Ahuja mistaking DeMello's coffin for a car and 'towing' it away, and the Mahabharata climax where the entire cast gatecrashes a live performance with Dhritarashtra periodically intoning in sheer frustration—"ye kya ho raha hai?"—as emperor Akbar making an inexplicable guest appearance.