Posters of Bollywood movies / Wikipedia

Bollywood may be known for its dancing-in-the-rain romance and sanskari sanskars, but every now and then, it grows a spine and a wicked sense of humor. Enter the rare breed of Hindi comedies that dared to poke fun at power, patriarchy, politics, and everything our moral police warned us about.

From corrupt politicians to erectile dysfunction, media frenzy to fake Osama Bin Laden tapes, these films proved that sometimes, the sharpest punches come wrapped in belly laughs. Here's a rollicking ride through 10 gutsy, political, and risqué Bollywood comedies that went where most filmmakers wouldn't dare go—straight into trouble (and glory).

JAANE BHI DO YAARO (1983)
MAHABHARAT, MURDER, AND MUNICIPAL MESS-UPS.
Before we had memes, we had Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro; this iconic cult satire took on India's holy trinity of corruption—netas, babus, and journalists—and served them with a side of slapstick. Two photographers stumble into a murder plot, and what follows is part detective noir, part Greek tragedy if Greek tragedies had a Mahabharat stage play with corpses being flung around. It's still so accurate, you'd think it was released last Friday.

PEEPLI LIVE (2010)
FARMER SUICIDE GETS TRPS. AND A PANEL DISCUSSION.
This film was less comedy and more open-heart surgery on the nation's soul—done with a butter knife dipped in sarcasm. When a desperate farmer plans to die for a government compensation, the media shows up with OB vans, politicians start giving sound bites, and nobody—absolutely nobody—bothers to help. Produced by Aamir Khan, Peepli Live is that dark roast of news culture you didn't know you needed.

KHOSLA KA GHOSLA (2006)
PLOT LOST. FAMILY PLOTTING BEGINS.
Delhi's land sharks never knew what hit them. A sweet, unassuming Punjabi uncle (Anupam Kher) finds his plot encroached by a smirking real estate goon (Boman Irani). But instead of emotional speeches or angry songs, we get a slow-burn heist pulled off by his goofy, desperate family. A masterclass in middle-class revenge, Khosla Ka Ghosla proved that comedy works best when the stakes are personal and the setting includes exactly one folding chair.

OH MY GOD (2012)
ONE MAN SUES GOD. DEVOTEES SUE HIM BACK.
Paresh Rawal plays a grumpy shopkeeper who decides to sue God after an earthquake ruins his business. Sounds mad? It is. But somehow, the film makes this legal lunacy a smart, sharp critique of godmen, blind faith, and the religion-industrial complex. Akshay Kumar descends as Krishna on a motorcycle (because of course he does), and the film rides the fine line between divine comedy and holy controversy.

LOVE SEX AUR DHOKHA (2010)
SMILE, YOU'RE ON (VERY UNCOMFORTABLE) CAMERA.
Dibakar Banerjee decided that Indian audiences needed a slap, not a hug. LSD is shot like your cousin's creepy YouTube vlog, but it delivers stinging social commentary on everything from MMS leaks and honor killings to sting operations and exploitation. It's dark, it's disturbing, and it somehow makes you laugh—the kind of laugh where you immediately look around and whisper, "Should I have laughed at that?"

BLACKMAIL (2018)
HIS WIFE'S CHEATING. HIS BOSS IS ANNOYING. HIS IDEA? BLACKMAIL EVERYONE.
Starring Irrfan Khan with peak deadpan brilliance, Blackmail is every frustrated employee's fantasy gone hilariously wrong. Discovering his wife's affair, Irrfan doesn't scream or cry; he calmly blackmails the boyfriend. What follows is a ridiculous chain of events involving more blackmail, some murder, and a lot of absurd desperation. It's the corporate version of Snakes and Ladders, but with bad lighting and worse life choices.

SHUBH MANGAL SAAVDHAN (2017)
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A... DYSFUNCTION.
Rom-coms usually promise fireworks. This one bravely said what if the fireworks don't go off? With Ayushmann Khurrana as a man battling performance anxiety and Bhumi Pednekar as his supportive fiancée, the film took erectile dysfunction out of the whisper zone and brought it to the dinner table-awkward silences, nosey relatives, and all. It's sweet, funny, and makes you question why masculinity in India is still measured in horsepower.

PK (2014)
ALIEN LANDS ON EARTH. GETS CONNED. GETS CURIOUS.
Aamir Khan returns naked and confused in a movie where an alien questions human religion with the innocent gaze of a kid in a temple gift shop. PK was gutsy, irreverent, and smart enough to sneak into hearts before sparking heated WhatsApp forwards. From godmen selling miracles to rituals that make no sense, the film dared to ask, "Wrong number tha kya?" And boy, did that number ring loud.