Through the character of the Municipal Commissioner (played by the late Asrani) and the corrupt hierarchy, Priyadarshan exposes the callousness with which public safety is treated. The recurring gag of a road roller and the haplessness of the police force serve as a dark mirror to the Indian administrative state. The "sour" element is the realization that for Tichkule, the law is not a protector but a predator. The film posits that in a system where everyone has a price, the man who refuses to sell his soul is the one who suffers the most.