Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro- An alternate imagination of Mumbai and the “big city”
Preview: The trope of the ‘big city’ has always been a cornerstone of Hindi cinema right from its early days. The big city represented as either a force of good or evil, always has an overwhelming narrative about it. It transforms lives for good or for bad and is either serenaded or cussed at in Hindi film songs. Narratively it forms the background, mostly to establish the mise en scène, a stage where all the acts and plots are played out. Cinematographically it is mainly the iconography of the big city which is represented usually by using an oft-repeated collection of images, often in a montage. These images include certain iconic monuments, buildings or other places mostly serving as a backdrop. Both the narrative and iconography are executed in a way that makes the identification of the city obvious and identifiable.
Representation of the big city in the story and iconography in these films tends to follow a set template. There are few distinct plots and iconography which are identified with particular cities and are employed invariably in most films. Mumbai which is arguably the most frequently represented city in Hindi cinema has few usual narratives associated with it such as the underworld, struggles of Bollywood, fashion industry and a hectic lifestyle. Similarly, when it comes to iconography of Mumbai there are few images which are mobilised frequently such as the CST terminus, local trains, Juhu beach, Marine Drive and the recent addition, the Sea Link. Both the narrative and iconography tend to stick to the template and lack a dynamic engagement with the city rendering the task of a new imagination highly unlikely.
One film however stands apart. The 1983 classic comedy, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro directed by Kundan Shah and written by Ranjit Kapoor, remains an exception in the new wave movement. A comedy unlike the serious cinema usually associated with the movement, this film nevertheless took up political and economic issues like few before or even after it. Employing both the farcical-improvisational as well as a scripted form of comedy, this film dealt with the idea of ‘big city’ and Mumbai in particular, in a very different way.
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