Om Puri hadn’t read the Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro script before signing on, complained about the writing on set: Sudhir Mishra

Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, renowned as the co-screenwriter of the iconic Hindi satirical comedy Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, still finds himself fielding questions about the movie 41 years after its release. In a recent conversation, Sudhir shed light on the challenges encountered during the film’s production, including the reluctance of actresses to sign on and the skepticism expressed by some of the actors involved.

At an event in Chandigarh, as reported by ETimes, Sudhir disclosed that every leading actress turned down Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. He also recounted an incident from the set where Om Puri questioned his writing and showed skepticism about the film. Sudhir recalled, “One day on set, Om Puri saab asked me, ‘Did you write this?’ I responded, ‘Hadn’t you read it?’ and he admitted he hadn’t.”

Sudhir further revealed that Naseeruddin Shah had reservations about the film, considering it a ‘mess.’ Despite this, Naseeruddin agreed to be part of the project due to their ‘personal equation’ rather than being drawn to the film’s content.

Also read | Ten things you might not know about Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro was directed by Kundan Shah. It serves as a dark satire on the widespread corruption prevalent in Indian politics, bureaucracy, news media, and business. Apart from Naseeruddin and Om Puri, it starred Ravi Baswani, Pankaj Kapur, Satish Shah, Satish Kaushik, Bhakti Barve, and Neena Gupta in pivotal roles. The film was also awarded 1984 Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film.