India is stagnant for sure with respect to one issue, the difficulties faced by migrant workers who travel from rural areas to metropolitan centres in search of employment and greater opportunities for socioeconomic mobility. The journey and experiences of these labourers have been the subject of several Bollywood movies like 'Do Bigha Zameen', 'Bheed' also including Raj Kapoor’s 1955 film ‘Shree 420’. It draws attention to the exploitation present in a capitalist system, which is frequently overlooked by both society at large and the law in particular. This calls into question the restrictive interpretation of ‘cheating’ under Section 420 (IPC) and highlights the class interests and its privileges. The title of the movie, ‘Shree 420’, which alludes to the ‘respectable,’ ‘gentlemen’s’ class’ of thieves, answers the further issue of who the real ‘420’ is.

Author-Gopi Shah