‘Sholay’ is a film loved by every generation. Many fans have watched it countless times, but interestingly, one of its co-writers, the legendary Javed Akhtar, says he hasn’t seen the film in years, possibly decades, and he has a good reason for it.
Sholay turns 50
On August 15, ‘Sholay’ will complete 50 years since its release. The film remains the biggest box office hit in Indian cinema history, based on footfalls and inflation-adjusted earnings.Javed, who co-wrote the script with Salim Khan during their Salim-Javed days, told Hindustan Times, “You should be happy with the work you have done if it is appreciated. But that umbilical cord needs to be cut. You cannot take the full credit for it. And you shouldn’t, too. Now, you should think of what you need to do now, because you are always as relevant as your latest work. You can stay in your dreams, but it won’t help. Those who are lost in their history have no hope for their future.”He further revealed how many times he has seen ‘Sholay’. Opening up to the portal, he admitted, “When it was released, I watched it 5-6 times because the initial reports were bad.” He went on to add “The film was supposed to be a flop initially, so I watched to see how it had turned out.”He also revealed that he hasn’t watched the movie since it was re-released in 70mm. He shared, “Since then, I haven’t watched it. I don’t like to watch my old films.”
A star-studded classic
‘Sholay’ boasted a powerhouse cast, led by Sanjeev Kumar and featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Amjad Khan, Jaya Bachchan, and Hema Malini. Released in 1975, it became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time, breaking ‘Mughal-e-Azam’s record. It held that title for over a decade until ‘Disco Dancer’ surpassed it, but ‘Sholay’ still holds the record for the most tickets ever sold for an Indian film.
About film’s re-release
Over the years, it has become a pop culture phenomenon in India, with its characters becoming household names and its lines becoming memes and quotable quotes. The Ramesh Sippy film has been re-released several times, with the last re-release in 2005, to mark the film’s 30th anniversary.A 4k restored version of Sholay will screen at the 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival in September this year. The film has been restored in 4K by Film Heritage Foundation in association with Sippy Films Pvt. Ltd.
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