Bumboo, as in that divine instrument of misfortune that seeks already miserable behinds, is a copy of a 1973 French film, L’emmerdeur (A Pain In the A**) which was based on the play by Francis Veber (the man we owe the original Bheja Fry to).
L’emmerdeur was dumbed down and remade as Buddy Buddy by Billy Wilder in 1981. Though it starred Jack Lemmon and Klaus Kinski, it had a villain called Rudy Disco Gambola, lesbians and the Institute for Sexual Fulfilment. In 2008, it was made again, in French, as L’emmerdeur.
Veber, who is often drawn to the theme and fear of being imprisoned with a criminally boring companion, tackles his claustrophobia in comical ways, and, in the end, finds moral lessons.
Bumboo pretty much follows that arc. Manu Gupta (Sudhir Pandey), the main accused in a Rs 1,200 scam, is arrested from a chawl in Mumbai. He is to be produced in a Goa court where, he promises TV cameras, he will name all the bigwigs involved. In essence, he will retrieve the bamboo currently lodged in his a** and shove it up the a**es of other eminences.
This alarms the mob and Sultu, an inefficient crook who has two bumbling apprentices, is assigned the task of bumping off Manu. To make sure that the job gets done, an international hitman, Mangal Singh (Sharat Saxena), is also hired.
Everyone knows that Manu will be bumped off before he appears in court, so the police paint the police van to resemble a milk van and dress up, themselves as well as Manu, as commandos before setting off for Goa. Trailing them is Sultu plus two.
Meanwhile, a newspaper editor sends reporter Jaya and photographer Suresh Sudhakar, aka Susu (Kavin Dave), to cover Manu’s killing. We meet Susu in his office where it is established beyond any doubt that he is a pakau kinda guy. He is always whining about his hot ex-wife Pinky (Mandy Takhar), and will grab anyone to narrate his tale of woes, starting from the beginning of time.
Mangal checks into Mandovi Hotel, which is across the street from the court. In the adjoining room is Susu. Both rooms share a door.
Mangal gets his international assassin paraphernalia ready; Susu calls Pinky, who is in Goa but in love with psychiatrist Dr D’Sousa (Sumit Kaul), who likes looking at star breasts. Susu says he will kill himself if Pinky doesn’t meet him; she says go ahead. Though he is large, XXXL almost, Susu puts a slender noose around his neck and hangs by the shower, bringing down the entire plumbing.
Gomes (Sanjay Mishra), the room boy, rushes in, says he’ll call the cops. Mangal the killer says don’t, and offers to take care of suicidal Susu. En route to Mumbai, Sultu & Co. are doing idiotic things; while Manu is farting and the cops are throwing up.
Back in the hotel, there are repeated suicide attempts, men falling on top of other men and jokes about gay sex. A calmpose injection is administered to the wrong man, the assassin develops a twitch, as does the vital window.

Bumboo is based on a well written story which is inherently hysterical. What can be funnier than an assassin weeping and begging for his gun from an annoying, fat imbecile?
But as the story travelled from France to America and now to India, the jokes became physical. Gymnastics replaced dialogue and need for acting. Bumboo is pure slapstick. There are exaggerated reactions to foul actions — farts induce vomit and when cops shoot, they aim for the offensive bum. And because this film is for the desi palate, there is everlasting love, an item number ( Juicy, juicy honth) and public thrashing of evil men. Despite that there are some inspired moments — comical editing cuts, and genuinely funny background music.
Sanjay Mishra is the weakest link in this mediocre ensemble of actors. If the actors had little more talent and the director was a bit more ambitious, Bumboo could have been a very good film. Could have.