Film: Sholay
Director: Ramesh Sippy
Country: India
Released: August 1975
Runtime: 204 minutes
Genre: Western
Studio: United Producers / Sippy Films
Influenced: Subhash Ghai, Prakash Mehra, Aparna Sen, Farhan Akhtar, Ram Gopal Varma
Considered a landmark in Indian cinema, Sholay revolutionised the action genre in India and remains a seminal Bollywood film. Though there were successful pan-Indian films before Sholay that appealed to the country's many different language-speaking regions, such as Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957) and K. Asif's Mughal-E-Azam (1960), this was the film that solidified the pan-Indian concept. Sholay was released in Hindi and later dubbed into various regional languages, enabling it to captivate audiences across the country, transcending regional boundaries and gradually becoming a cultural phenomenon nationwide. Sholay would go on to set a new benchmark for Indian cinema in terms of its commercial success and legacy.
The concept of Sholay originated from the collaboration between Ramesh Sippy and the prominent screenwriting duo, Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. Sippy envisioned a film that would redefine the action genre in India, combining elements of westerns and Indian mythology. The script went through multiple revisions before being finalised. Set in the fictional village of Ramgarh, Sholay's plot revolves around former police officer, Thakur Baldev Singh, who seeks revenge on the ruthless "dacoit" (bandit) Gabbar Singh. He recruits two small-time crooks, Veeru and Jai, to capture Gabbar and bring him to justice. Veeru and Jai are initially reluctant but eventually agree to help. They arrive in Ramgarh and face numerous challenges, including Gabbar's henchmen and their own personal demons.
The film begins with the introduction of Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan), two friends with contrasting personalities, and also explores the tragic backstory of Thakur (Sanjeev Kumar), revealing why he seeks revenge against Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan). One of Sholay's innovations was its large ensemble cast of multiple protagonists, each given a distinct personality and role. Sippy also incorporated elements of westerns, such as the portrayal of lawlessness, revenge and friendship, a departure from the typical melodramatic style prevalent in Bollywood at the time. In this way, Sholay had a darker and grittier tone than conventional Indian films of that era, a key reason why the film resonated so much with audiences.
Sholay became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time and ran in Indian cinemas for over five years. The film's characters, dialogues and music have became ingrained in the collective memory of Indian audiences, with iconic lines like "Kitne aadmi the?" (How many men were there?) and "Yeh haath humko de de Thakur!" (Give me your hand, Thakur!) still widely quoted to this day. The film also features a romantic subplot between Veeru and Basanti (Hema Malini) and Jai's unrequited love for Radha (Jaya Bachchan), accompanied by now popular songs such as "Yeh Dosti" and "Mehbooba Mehbooba". The film reaches its climax when Veeru, Jai and Thakur confront Gabbar and his gang in a dramatic battle, leading to a thrilling and memorable finale.
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