Goodbye 420: BNS 318/319 replaces IPC 420, but celebs feel it will stay alive
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 318/319 have replaced section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), but pop culture will keep it alive in jokes and slang.
Are Chachi, Shree and Khiladi no longer 420 but 318/319? Following the announcement of 420 of the IPC being replaced by BNS 318, social media users have been pondering this question, wondering whether this means that “420 ho gaya” is no longer going to have the punch that it did in pop culture.
When this was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2023, senior advocate and MP Mahesh Jethmalani said that he would miss this section, stating, “Section 420 is imprinted in our minds... It became part of Bollywood, and there was a movie with Raj Kapoor called Shree 420. Sometimes, we were admonished by our parents, who said, ‘Charsaubeesi maat karo’. We will miss that. This bill must bring about changes for the new generation. It has, and I welcome it.”
What is the update all about?
“In 1860, the British introduced Section 420 of the IPC (Indian Penal Code), arguably the most popular among the public, in the realm of movies, jokes and puns. It dealt with cheating, forgery, fraud and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property. It has now been replaced by Section 318 of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita), which comprises 358 sections, compared to the 511 sections in the IPC. It entails punishment for cheating and deceit with a maximum of seven years of imprisonment or a fine. Similarly, Section 319 also covers cheating by impersonation,” informs Joshiba Dev, lawyer and influencer.
Celebs speak:
Abhilash Thapliyal, actor, says, “Abhi toh cities ke naye naam bhi theek se yaad nahi hue the... Ab yeh bhi karna padega. Bahut syllabus badh gaya hai, ek dum se!”
Archana Puran Singh, actor, jokes, “So, maybe our jokes will have more to play with! The public may adopt new jargon, such as, ‘Abe tu toh poora ka poora 318 hai be. Main tujhko chhota mota 420 samjha tha!’”
Gaurav Gera, actor, feels, “420 immortal hai; pictures ban chuki; iconic toh hai aur rahega. I think it will take a lot of years (to forget) because 420 to itna dimag mein baitha hua hai and agar change bhi hua to logon ko bahut saal lagenge to not use it so frequently.”
Mona Singh, actor, opines, “In our heads, there will be no confusion. I feel chaarsaubees will always be chaarsaubees (has a nice ring to it), but the judges should not get confused while passing the verdict.”
Kiku Sharda, actor, shares, “I never thought ki 420 yahan se nau do gyarah ho jayega! Agar wo section nahi hai to mujhe nahi lagta ki kuch khaas farak padne wala hai kyunki jis tarah se main sochta hun, jis tarah log use istemal karte hain to log ye to nahi bolenge ki ye 318 hai. 318 is not even catchy.”
Appurv Gupta, stand-up comic, says, “420 ka itna important role hai, especially for people from Delhi, ki charsaubeesi kardi. Ye number toh hum gaadiyon ke number mein bhi avoid karte the. It will take a lot of time for people to understand this significance: Khiladi 420 jo hai, wo Khiladi 318 toh nahi hi banne wala.”
Khushi Dubey, actor, feels, “Clearly one can say ki ab chaar sau bees chaar sau bees ho gaya hai! This phrase that became massively popular by (late actor) Raj Kapoor sir has been revamped… with 318 and 319 coming up as the section numbers for cheating under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill , ironically one shouldn’t mind being called 'chaar sau bees' now!”
