Sholay, an evergreen, cult classic movie, celebrates its Golden Jubilee. The actors are aging, but the movie still feels ageless. The Directors and Producers can create a remake, but that will never be the same without these actors. People still recall the famous dialogues of the movie, and the young generation uses them in memes. The friending of Jai and Veeru is so lively, a good friendship often referred to as “Jai (Actor Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru (Actor Dharmendra).
“I don’t think a film like this can ever me made again. Even if Ramesh Sippy Ji (Director) himself tried to remake the film, it wouldn’t be the same. Sholay definitely made me more popular. I think my role as Basanti brought so much happiness to people who watched it then – and it’s doing the same now”
By Actor – Politician, Hema Malini
Actors on Getting the Role
As Sholay marks its 50th Anniversary, the actors share their thoughts and stories on getting the role.
“I had worked with writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar before, they told me this story, and I was fascinated by it. They even recommended my name to (Director) Ramesh Sippy Sahab and showed him my film, Deewar (1995).” He further said, Like everyone else, I wanted the role of Gabbar Singh. But Salim Javed had seen Amjad in play, so they bought him on board. Some did have apprehensions about his voice, but it was the same voice that created magic.”
By Actor Amitabh Bachchan
The movie was written and directed so beautifully that even now, the music, song, dialogue, actions, and even small performances are famous. The plot was written very well, and the thought of hiring people to get the job done by Director Ramesh Sippy was out of the box. The action scenes were shot by British Stuntmen, and the sound behind the action, the sequences was done in the UK.
“When the role was first offered to me, I even asked Ramesh Ji, Are you sure? You are offering me ek tange waali ka role, itna chota role? He said, “Just say, yes or you will repent”. Thankfully, I listened. Who knew Basanti would become so iconic?
By Actor Politician, Hema Malini
How Sholay Overcame Its Slow Start to Become a Legend?
Sholay, a masterpiece and a cult classic movie, despite that, at the beginning, the film had a slow start at the box office. When the movie was released, it didn’t work the way the Director, Producers, and Casting team expected. The review from the audience on Jai’s death at the end and Jaya’s remarriage was not appreciated. The casting crew even decided to reshoot the last scene of the movie. The Director, Ramesh Sippy, decided to wait for 2 more days, and in merely 2 days, a miracle happened, and history is well known.
How did Sholay cross the mark of 3 crores despite a slow beginning?
The opening of the movie was slow and brought tension among the cast and crew, but despite a slow beginning, the iconic movie crossed Rs. 3 crores. Sholay becomes the highest-grossing India Film and beats the record of Mughal-e-Azam (1960). The initial budget for Sholay was 1 crore, but it ended up costing 3 crores. With the rise in budget, the movie became the most expensive production of 1975.
In its initial run of over 6 years, the movie sold more than 15 crores of tickets in India. Later, the movie was released overseas, and the masterpiece was re-released in certain parts of India, which increased the footfall count to over 25 crores.
Making of Sholay Movie
The fans of Sholay are very much aware of Ramgarh, the village where Thakur (Played by Sanjeev Kumar) and his family reside. Do you know where Sholay’s Ramgarh is? A north village set-up in the southern part of India. The film was shot in Ramdevera Betta village, 45 km from Bengaluru. Around 100 crew members transformed the rural village of Karnataka into Ramgarh. The place was first discovered by the Art Director, Ram Yedekar, while shooting an English film.
Who cast for Gabbar, if not Amjad Khan?
As Actor Amitabh Bachchan said, everyone wants to play the role of Gabbar Singh. So, who was in the list for Gabbar Singh’s role? Initially, Actor Danny Denzongpa signed on as Gabbar Singh, but he was occupied in Feroz Khan’s Dharmatma Movie in Afghanistan. Later, other names were suggested for the role; among those, Prem Chopra and Pran were on the list. The writer Salim Javed suggested Amjad Khan, who was new to the industry. Amjad Khan charged Rs. 10,000/- for his role.
Have you imagined Dharmendra playing the role of Thakur? Not able to fit in your mind! Dharmendra was initially offered the role of Thakur and Gabbar. But he chooses our favourite, Veeru’s role. The role of Jai (played by Amitabh Bachchan) was offered to Shatrughan Sinha, but he turned it down due to creative differences and a packed schedule. Then, Dharmendra recommended Amitabh Bachchan’s name for the role of Jai.
Sneak Preview of Famous Dialogues of Sholay
Every dialogue of the Sholay movie was famous and a masterpiece. At the end of this article, let’s take a look at some of our famous dialogue and tell me what’s your favorite?
- Kitne Aadmi thee……….
- Ab tera kya hoga Kaalia?????
- Ek ek ko chun chun k maarunga……..
- Dekho, mujhe befuzool baat karne ki aadat toh hai nahin……….
- Tumhara naam kya hia, Basanti?
- Kuttey Kameene, main tera khoon pee jaunga.
- Itna sannata kun hia bhai?????
- Holi Kab hai????
- Aadhe idhar jao, aadhe udhar jao, aur baki mere peeche aao…
Pic Credit: Pinterest and Google
