Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro

by Jai Arjun Singh

In the 1980s, an unheralded Hindi movie, made on a budget of less than Rs 7 lakh, went from a quiet showing at the box office to developing a reputation as India s definitive black comedy. Some of the country s finest theatre and film talents all at key stages in their careers participated in its creation, but the journey was anything but smooth. Among other things, it involved bumping off disco killers and talking gorillas, finding air-conditioned rooms for dead rats, persuading a respected actor to stop sulking and eat his meals, and resisting the temptation to introduce logic into a madcap script. In the end, it was worth it.

Kundan Shah s Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro is now a byword for the sort of absurdist, satirical humour that Hindi cinema just hasn t seen enough of. This is the story of how it came to be despite incredible odds and what it might have been. Jai Arjun Singh s engaging take on the making of the film and its cult following is as entertaining as the film itself.

Genres: Nonfiction, Media Tie In

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Vikas Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best in Harper Collins Film series. Some books in series are fit for the wastebasket, some can be tolerated and very few need to be cherished and find its place of pride on your bookshelf. This is one of those. A clear work of love and passion the book does justice to the most memorable and loved dark comedies from Bollywood. Meticulously researched you are transported to that era and become a part of the film making process. An engrossing read you just cannot put the book down!

[Tamoghna Biswas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading a book about only one movie, so I haven't any set parameters to dissect it. But the writing is very intriguing and filled with humour, and at the same time, the research done is on point. For a film industry that has given us so many classics over the years, few have been talked about this much by film enthusiasts, and even fewer had the chance to be analyzed so objectively. The author's love and reverence for the film permeates through the pages, but he doesn't devote all his energy and scope to just talking about its positives. It is almost on par with the BFI Film Classics, and that should speak a lot.

I wish more 80s movies were digitally restored from Bollywood and all the other industries. Film restoration in India has always been a laughingstock, it's high time they change that.

#2 of sxc-library-100-books-challenge

[Girish Kohli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its stupid to review a book one has read more than a year back but I guess
when it comes to the movie this book is based on, being stupid is warranted.

The world is divided into two kinds of people, "Those who have seen Jaane bhi do yaaron and those who haven't"

This book is evidently written by a fan, a well read and ably gifted fan, who has been kind and meticulous enough to interview the cast and crew of the film and enlighten us with the method that gave birth to this cult madness.

Jai Arjun Singh's book establishes why it is important to know the real story behind a great illusion called cinema. Because ...

Because ...

Its real! and that's why its beautiful.

Thank you Mr. Jai Arjun for taking us through the anecdotes, struggles and experiences of all those who thought they were making the wrong movie but ended up making a classic.

[Sandhya · Rating 3 out of 5]

One often rues the lack of academic film writing in India, and the less-than-credible set of reviewers we suffer week after week. One could argue that since Hindi cinema rarely produces anything of spectacular worth and quality, it perhaps does even necessitate any deep thought and analysis. Yet, there are always surprises, some rare gems that get made in this dream factory. More importantly, an atmosphere of quality film criticism is vital towards the healthy development of an evolving cinema culture.

In such a context, Jai Arjun Singh's debut non-fiction book on the 1983s cult classic, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro is an earnest and thoroughly engaging read. For a while now, the 32 year old has been running an extremely popular blog, Jabberwock, where he pens down his lucid, well-thought out views on books and films. That apart, the author has been freelancing with various leading publications. Among other things, the writer's most admirable quality is his ability to elegantly guide his reader through the journey, gently but firmly interjecting and alerting through anecdotes, observations and counter points, without ever turning this into a self-indulgent, showy exercise.


Read the rest here: http://sandyi.blogspot.com/2011/02/ja...

[E.T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am i being generous ? No, like d movie, i m rating d experience and merely not over-analysing. It was a fast, fun read yet it had substance. Like d movie.
This is d first 'making of a movie' type book I have read. The movie is in a class and genre of its own even today. The level of absurdity has to be seen to be believed.
But, coming to d book, i like d author's tone, the little bio of Kundan Shah, d writing of d movie, d ensemble casting, d shooting, post-production etc have all been very well described in this short book (approx 175 pages). Fond memories of some scenes will make u laugh as they r recounted, and so d descriptions of some deleted scenes and interactions.

[Monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading every page of it and the book has me craving to see the movie again

[Col. Lecter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sort of behind-the-scenes/making-of the movie "Jaane bhi do Yaaro" in print. It delves into the travails of producing a film on an extremely low budget, as well as the reasons behind its cult status. It reminds me of that line from the movie "Bowfinger" where someone goes "But movies cost millions of dollars to make" and Steve Martin's character replies "That's after gross net deduction profit percentage deferment ten percent of the nut. Cash, every movie costs $2,184." Kundan Shah was Bowfinger like two whole decades before it even came out.

The book is a short one, but the paperback is nevertheless thick at over 270 pages, thanks to double-spaced paragraphs and low per-line word-count. If they'd kept to the default, the book would not have been more than a hundred and fifty pages. That said, it is reasonably well researched, well written and therefore engaging - engagement, of course a function of interest, as much as writing.

My take-away was a peek into the world of film-making, the process behind just about everything from script to the final edit. It's close to 35 years now since the movie released, so this one is of course dated material and trivia meant for die-hard fans only.

[Anirudha Bhattacharjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the first books on Indian cinema written by a young author. Deeply researched, vividly described, meaningful interviews with people associated with the film including Kundan Shah, devoid of clutter which leads the reader to become restive, this is the best book on a single film I have ever read. The details are all there; in as much, I would go ahead and label it as a story which can be used as a script for a "film on the film".

[Sundarraj Kaushik · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read to understand what went behind the scenes in the making of this iconic film. It is surprising to see that many parts of the scenes evolved rather than having been well thought out.

After reading the book one has to see the movie once again to capture the nuances that have been pointed out in the book and to appreciate what happened better.

[sagnik dutta · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of cult films and the stories of how they come to be, I enjoyed this book as a nice breezy read. Came across an old copy of it in college street and snapped it up for cheap. Only complaint I have is that the book is too short.

[Shubham Tiwari · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book for writing the script of the making of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, on the lines of The Disaster Artist.

[Amit Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the 1980s, an unheralded Hindi movie, made on a budget of less than Rs 7 lakh, went from a quiet showing at the box office to developing a reputation as India's definitive black comedy. Some of the country's finest theatre and film talents - all at key stages of their careers - participated in its creation, but the journey was anything but smooth. Kundan Shah's JBDY is now a byword for the sort of absurdist, satirical humour that Hindi cinema just hasn't seen enough of. This is the story of how it came to be despite incredible odds - and what it might have been.

Jaane Bhi do Yaaron has been one of my all time favourite films. This black comedy makes a satirical attempt at the state of the nation, which is sadly as relevant in 2011 as it was in 1983 when it was first released. At the face of it, the movie has the best talents from both movie and theatre business working together in one project. Come to think of it - Naseer, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapoor, Satish Shah, Neena Gupta, Satish kaushik, Ravi Bhaswani and Bhakti Bharve (a big name in Marathi cinema at that time); each one more powerful than the other, but all at almost start of their careers. This book should have been a straight pick for me.

However, in recent times i have been skeptical to read any film related books. My previous similar attempts in this category have been a little disappointing to say the least. These include books like The Spirit of Lagaan by Satyajit Bhaktal (who has written and directed this week's new release, Zokkomon) and Bollywood - the Indian Cinema Story by Nasreen Munni Kabir (who has recently released A.R. Rahman biography, The Spirit of Music). The major reason why these books have left me underwhelmed was because you read so much about movies through newspapers, magazines and social networking websites; there is hardly anything new left to explore. Moreover, reading just about one movie in whole 200 odd pages can be clunky and exhausting. But when Bookchums provided me a copy for winning one of their contests to Jai Arjun's interview (penultimate question is asked by me), i decided to shun my apprehensions and take the plunge.

Divided into four different sections, the book starts from the various unplanned events which led to the making of this film. I was actually surprised to know how much work Ranjit Kapoor (director of Rishi Kapoor starrer, Chintuji) put in the film right from script to pre-production to the final release of the movie. The narrative interspersed with the conversations of cast and crew adds a unique dimension to the book.Apart from this, there are so many nuggets to savour from the book which could not make it to the final film: A talking Gorilla who analyses the human condition, A disco-killer (played by Anupam Kher) who is short-sighted and a few more funny moments with the DeMello's (played by Satish Shah) corpse. The pace is brisk, there is not too much dwelling on any incident and you are exposed to little stories which went in making this movie.

In the end, as the author has himself claimed, the books suffers from over analysis. After all, how much you can analyse each and every plot point without sounding repetitive. I seriously thought the book could have been structured a little differently. There are certain scenes which make umpteen appearances in various chapters when discussed with different point of views of film-making. Probably, this could have been avoided to make the book more concise. But with impeccable research about the movie, it keeps you engaged for most parts. There is an desirable charm and lightness in the tone of the book, which keeps you hooked.

I am going with 3.5/5 for Jai Arjun's Jaane bhi do yaaron - seriously funny since 1983. If you loved the movie, you will like reading the intricacies of it. It's a timeless cult classic, a movie to be seen 28 years down the line and still enjoyed as much you did the first time around. The book just enhances the experience to a new level. Don't miss out. And i look forward in reading more from the Harper Collins Film series soon!

[Anthoney · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy 5 stars for me. The rating could have been coloured by my sentimental attachments with the movie, but more then that, the writing is so crisp and so precise that it deserves 5 stars on it's own merit.

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (JBDY) is such an indelible impression in my life because of all the joys and the laughs it provided as a teen, every time it was telecast on Doordarshan. In fact the first time I saw it, I missed some of the moments because I was rolling on the floor, laughing so hard - it was so painful, I would have killed myself laughing if I saw any further as the comedy unfolded into the next shot. On my repeat viewings, I would already start laughing in advance of coming scene, just anticipating it, laughing everytime we even discussed the movie . Oh man. (But I have to admit - just like the author does, the funniness has worn off with my advancing years and I didn't laugh so much the last time I saw it upon its re release in the theatres)

So no surprise, that I was smiling as I was reading the book. With all the laughs that I have mentioned, you would have figured out by now it is a comedy movie :) but the book does shed light on the serious aspects of its making and of the various social themes the movie reflected in it's satire. It adequately speaks of the collaboration and the support, most of them unexpected that went into making the movie. I would have liked it more if Jai Arjun had "over"analysed the movie, but he consciously refrains from it, cleverly that is cos he still critiques some aspects. Not that I would have accepted them. Some samples

"One of the hazards of working on a book like this is that you are forced into the position of being over-analytical. Besides, if you watch any film twenty times over a three-week period— with notepad, pen and magnifying glass in hand— you will start to see its loose ends. You will also start to get mildly fed up of it, which is why I’m hesitant to stress the areas where I feel Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro is lacking."

"One problem with films that are initially neglected and subsequently develop cult followings is that they tend to get deified very quickly. Flaws are glossed over, fans shut their ears to criticism and impute ulterior motives to anyone who has anything contrary to say. After a screening of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro in Goa a few years ago, a young man got up and strode towards the exit, shaking his head and loudly proclaiming, ‘Mahabharat scene ke ilava iss film mein kuch nahin hai’ (‘ There’s nothing in this film apart from the Mahabharat scene’). The crowd booed, there were shouts of ‘If you didn’t understand the film, keep your views to yourself’. But Kundan says he appreciated the boy’s response more than he has appreciated some of the praise for his movie. ‘He wasn’t being supercilious; he was being honest about his feelings, and to me his response spoke for a certain type of viewer. Maybe he came in thinking the film was going to be a laugh riot from beginning to end, and found the humour dated and awkward. As a film-maker, it’s important not to shut yourself to such feedback.’ Actually, it is obvious that Kundan is fed up of people treating Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro as an undisputed classic. ‘It’s a sad state of affairs if Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro has become the be all and end all of a “socially aware” film,’ he says. ‘There should have been many more like it. If this film is on such a pedestal, all it tells me is that Indian cinema hasn’t achieved enough.’

There is a certain delight in knowing some of the mistakes and gaffes, some blemishes in a masterpiece, and then hoarding it in your memory as a trivia, to reveal it as a "Did you Know" or just knowing that "I Know" about it. A more extensive analysis or critique of the technical and creative motions would have made for a bigger book, adding to the enrichment, but still it is not a complaint just a suggestion.

All in all, a great tribute to one of the greatest movies ever made in the world.

[Srikant · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a nation obsessed with movies, it’s a little surprising that there are very few good books available on Bollywood or Hindi movies. Probably we are just happy watching the movies than reading about them. Not surprisingly Jai Arjun Singh’s book is a welcome and well deserved addition to this genre.
The book starts with with Kundan Shah early days in FTI- Pune, his initial struggle to bring this movie to the production stage and moves on by providing an easy flowing and light hearted account about the making of the movie.
As I read the book I realized that there were lots of really talented people, involved in this project, working behind the scene. People who might not have been big name at that point of time, but are much respected figures in the industry today. I was not aware the Binodh Pradhan was the cinematographer for this movie and that Sudhir Mishra along with Satish Kaushik (and of course Kundan Shah) worked on the screenplay and dialogue for the movie. Sudhir Mishra was also the assistant director for this movie. In fact, Anupan Kher was also supposed to make an appearance in the movie as “Disco-Killer”. Unfortunately that scene was deleted from the movie during the final editing.The book is full with trivia which makes it all the more fun to read.
Definitely recommended for people hungry for books on Bollywood and I wish there were more such books.

[Tanaya Pandey (kitabiyatri) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was one of the few non fiction books which i could not put down. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I had been following Jai Arjun's blog for a while now since he reviews a lot about books and movies and some very interesting stuff. That's how i got to know that he was now writing his own book and to start with it was a very interesting concept of covering the background of an entire film. the history of the film, cast crew how it got to be made and finally where everyone related to the movie along with the movie itself stands today.

Jaane bhi do Yaaro is a historical movie in it's own right in the Indian film industry and while it always remained one of the most loved and funny movies for me to go back to, the thought of knowing about it was even more exciting as the star cast of the film (stars now cast then) is superb. All of them were in the making and trust me i would recommend this book to everyone. Jai has done a fantastic job of capturing the perfect nuances of the film, it's people and his narrative throughout the book keeps you going. It's extremely enjoyable very very informative and it was one of those books that i pre - ordered, waited for and finished in 2 days thoroughly satisfied.

[Priyadarshini · Rating 5 out of 5]

“‘It was a heck of a job getting that bandar to pose in the right way,’ he says. It occurs to me that this last sentence would be a fitting epigraph for the film.”

The first time I watched this movie was with my brother on the eve of Y2K (#youremember) and we were in splits. Soon, the clock struck 12 and on hearing the firecrackers going off we wished each other a happy new year with almost the same intonation that Vinod and Sudhir would sing the final hum honge kaamyaab song at the end of the darkest comedy ever to have been created in this country.

While it is in no way a polished product of cinema, the circumstances in which this movie was written, rewritten, shot and edited brings about a newfound respect for the movie. Every actor worked on the movie as if it was a ghar ki shaadi - assuming multiple responsibilities. There’s the thought process of the creator - Kundan Shah, there’s an almost shot by shot breakdown of scenes as well as the behind the scene stories and I think anyone interested in the craft of filmmaking or the theory of comedy or just plain old jugaad needs to read this book. I have personally made copious amounts of notes!

[Kunal Sen · Rating 4 out of 5]

there's an interesting comparison in the book, between JBDY's and Tohfa's box-office performance back then and their respective legacies today...

jai arjun singh's book about indian cinema's most definitive black comedy, makes for fascinating reading... right from the things that never made it to the screen ("Disco Killers" and "Philosophizing Gorillas") to the things that were never intended to be there ("Piddling Dogs", "Haryanvi accents")... coincidences, improvisations everything that went into making this 'happen'... and i have made a film so i know what he's talking about.

Singh writes this damn good line towards the end- 'To call it flawless would be a disservice to the movie itself, and to the people who made it against the odds.'

i could not agree more... much of JBDY's beauty lies in its imperfections, and so despite those, or perhaps because of those, 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro' will always remain, a masterpiece.

this is one of the best non-fiction books to come out of India in the last five years or so.

[Hiren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful read, written in delightful, analytical & interestingly informative for all those who love and admired the film as one of favorite Indian films of all-time. "JBDY banayi nahin jaati, ban jaati hai." It explores how Kundan Shah of his FTII days, how frustrations, cynicism of the time & ugly reality of everyday life made him penned the rough sketch and how with passage of time, with entry of his FTII collegues, motley cast & other destined contributors, it leaded to different trajectory. Exploring and analysing many interesting stories and wonderful anecdotes about its making & unmaking, its release, reception and how it become cult & beloved Indian classic.

[Pragati · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a sweet little thing meant obviously for the die hard fans of the movie. The author has detached the work completely from those who created it and gave it a separate identity, which works well for the book. It might as well be named 'The Biography of JBDY'. The deleted scenes and characters were indeed very interesting and makes one wonder how JBDY would have looked had those been incorporated.

It's not only nostalgic but highly optimistic story of a bunch of people working against all odds and ending up creating something rather extraordinary!

[Aman · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book from the "Movies" genre.
Always wanting to know what went in to the making of the cult movie, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, I could not resist buying and finishing this before Catch-22 (which is also nearing its completion).
Jai writes well and in a way inspires us through the hardships that the actors/editors/script writers/director et al had to go through whilst making the movie.
A good read!

[Sunayna]

A fantastic and fascinating story behind the making of India's biggest cult feature. It's bizarre how close the comedy and the darkness of the film was to how it was actually made. The sacrifices, bunched with incredible hope, resonates the real with the reel. The inside story of what the film could've been had it retained Disco Killer, a talking gorilla and loads of other such delightful details. The story is simply so inspiring and beautiful that it can make storytellers out of illiterates.

[Anil Anuragi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is written after the movie release. How directors, actors, producers used to spend night long just to make a scene perfect. There was intense passion at that time. A movie used to take years to complete and in now in this time it hardly takes 2 or 3 months to make a movie. In past movie making was a passion but now it has become profession. How they used to cover the background, emphasis on the tone, location. In short this books tells you how movie making was back in 80's.

[Alok · Rating 3 out of 5]

mostly production history and behind the scenes commentary. a little haphazardly organized but quite entertaining overall. some fascinating details about early drafts of screenplay and scenes which were cut from the final edit including Anupam Kher's cameo as "disco killer" and talking gorilla spouting words of wisdom about The Human Condition. Now off to watching it on dvd.

[Jaimit Doshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

quite a funny book. it helped me understand the movie (of the same title) much better and gave an interesting account into the making of the movie. a must read for the movie fans.

[Shreyas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read as a story of a cult movie... but lacks literary quality.

[Udayan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Bloody brilliant.

[Jasdeep Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read about the must watch film.

[Vishal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant behind the scenes in how some cinematic greats came together to make a cult classic! Stories from the set, how scenes came to be, how actors improvised and all the other masala.

[Akar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite movie and the story behind my favorite movie. What's not to love!

[Anurag Anil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone who is a fan of JBDY and/or the Indian Parallel Cinema Movement.