From HT archives: Unknown facts about the making of Ramesh Sippy's Sholay, secret British stuntmen to Amjad's salary

Hindustan Times

a day ago

Sholay, directed by Ramesh Sippy, is considered a cult classic in Indian Cinema. It stars Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Amjad Khan, and Hema Malini, among others. The film turns 50 on August 15. Gabbar Singh, played by Amjad Khan, remains one of the most popular villains in Hindi cinema history. However, his casting was decided at the last minute, as Amjad was not the first choice for the film. Let us take a look at such unknown details about the film as it turns 50, from KM Amladi's assessment of the film in HT archives. Amjad Khan played the iconic villain Gabbar Singh in Sholay.
Who was thought for Gabbar Singh?
Danny Denzongpa was making waves as the No. 1 archvillain in the Hindi cinema at that time and was the first choice for Gabbar Singh. Danny was signed, but he was away in Afghanistan shooting Feroz Khan's Dharmatma. Sholay's shooting had already started on the outskirts of Bangalore. Since Danny could not report for work, Ramesh Sippy was compelled to try out Amjad, who was strongly recommended by writers Salim and Javed.
How much was Amjad paid?
Amjad, who later became a household name thanks to Gabbar, was paid just ₹10,000 for his role. The director, in a tribute to Amjad following his death in 1992, revealed that initially the actor, who was facing the camera for the first time, showed nervousness, especially doing action scenes.
Amjad had to deliver his lines while riding a horse and also rub his tobacco in his palm; it proved difficult for him to coordinate the two. Several 'takes' were needed to get the scenes right. Halfway through, his crew members suggested that Amjad be dropped and a more experienced actor like Pran or Prem Chopra be brought in. But Ramesh Sippy had faith that Amjad would rise to the occasion, and the rest is history.
Critics gave mixed reviews upon release
When Sholay was released in October 1975 all over India, some critics dismissed it as a pastiche, taking inspiration from The Great Dictator, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, and even Mera Gaon Mera Desh. Director Ramesh Sippy and his scriptwriters, Salim and Javed Akhtar, went on to admit that their ideas for Gabbar Singh were derived from Eli Wallach's portrayal in The Magnificent Seven.
The men behind the action
For many years, the Sippys, both producer G. P. Sippy and his director son Ramesh, kept the involvement of British technicians in the making of Sholay a closely guarded secret. Their names are not mentioned in the credits. The reason for their secrecy was twofold. Many of the top technicians were paid in hard currency, and secondly, the Indian film unions, the cameramen's and stuntmen's, objected to the foreigners' names in the film's credits.
Sholay's bravura action sequences were conceived and executed not by Ramesh Sippy but by two British horse experts and stunt coordinators, Jim Allen and Jerry Crampton. Allen was the second unit director in Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns and has also worked in How the West Was Won. The train attack sequence and most of the daring action sequences with horses were the handiwork of second unit director Jim Allen and stunt coordinator Crampton (who was responsible for stunt sequences of Attenborough's Gandhi).
The initial train attack sequence took two months of hard work to shoot, and the three British stuntmen who doubled for the dacoits were paid ₹50,000 each plus life insurance for jumping off a 40-mph running goods train and doing triple somersaults after falling on the ground.