In the iconic 1983 Bollywood satire Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, several failing public policies and systemic flaws are depicted through humor and irony. The film reflects various social and political issues that were prominent in India during that time and, in some cases, still resonate today. Some key public policy failures shown in the movie include:

1. Corruption in Urban Development: The movie highlights widespread corruption in the real estate and construction industries. Builders, government officials, and bureaucrats collaborate to exploit public resources, often bypassing laws and regulations. The character of Tarneja, a corrupt builder, manipulates the system with the help of bribed officials to get away with illegal construction practices, illustrating the loopholes in urban planning and development policies.
2. Inefficient Judicial and Law Enforcement System: The film portrays how the legal system can be easily manipulated by the powerful elite. The two photographers, who accidentally capture evidence of a murder, struggle to bring justice because the judicial and police systems are influenced by the same corrupt network of politicians, businessmen, and bureaucrats. This highlights the failure of law enforcement to protect the rights of the common man and ensure justice.
3. Media Complicity: The role of the media in the movie also points to its failure as a public institution. The film criticizes how media, rather than acting as a watchdog, often becomes complicit in protecting corrupt individuals for personal gain, thus failing in its duty to inform and hold the powerful accountable.
4. Bureaucratic Red Tape: The film shows how excessive bureaucracy and red tape slow down any attempts to expose corruption or wrongdoing. The protagonists face significant hurdles as they try to navigate the complicated government system, further emphasizing the inefficiency and complicity of bureaucrats in corruption.
5. Neglect of Public Interest: Throughout the movie, the interests of the common people are ignored or actively undermined in favor of personal gains by those in power. This reflects the failure of public policies to serve the larger societal good, as the focus is instead on benefiting a small elite.

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro critiques the failure of public institutions to curb corruption, the ineffectiveness of the judicial system, and the breakdown of ethics in urban development and governance. These themes continue to resonate in discussions about systemic corruption in public policy.