‘Sholay' turns 50: Let the movie be
As with all classics, an inexplicable alchemy turned this desi spaghetti western into cinematic gold. The set pieces, the ringing dialogues, the cameos, Dharmendra's comedic timing and the tragic crescendo worked seamlessly. But for a film made of broad brushstrokes, there was a lot that Sholay left unsaid. Other than Thakur, we know little about the backstories of the main characters, while the romance between Amitabh Bachchan's Jai and Jaya Bachchan's Radha is near wordless. At the film's end, we see only Thakur's raised jackboot but not him actually kill Gabbar. These narrative interstices throughout allowed space for the audiences to imagine for themselves, creating a magical communion between the work of art and its consumer.
A branch of the Sippy family that holds the film's rights, hoping to cash in on this milestone moment, is now creating merchandise, and re-releasing the film with restored footage of Thakur smashing Gabbar's face and killing him which was left out in the original. Ours is an age of oversharing and the baring of everything — from one's tonsils to one's traumas, but with Sholay, the film was made by what it left out as much as what it said. As Javed Akhtar, one of its writers, said, 'Would we really want to know that James Bond's mother was a school teacher?'
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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Dharmendra remembers the DOP of his Bollywood classic 'Sholay'
Veteran actor Dharmendra is remembering and paying homage to the cinematographer of his iconic film 'Sholay.' On Sunday, the actor took to his Instagram and shared a throwback picture of himself with the late Dwarka Divecha , the cinematographer on 'Sholay.' He also penned a note in the caption paying tribute to the late artist and urged his followers to rummage through the pages of the DOP's biography. He wrote, "Late Shri Dwarka Divecha, director of cinematography ('Sholay'). He was always very loving and friendly with all of us. People behind the camera are hardly mentioned, though they bring us on the silver screen. Please read his biography." Dwarka Divecha was also an actor and had shared the screen with Shammi Kapoor and Padmini in 'Singapore.' He was also involved in creating the sets of 'Sholay,' which is considered Hindi cinema's first Western Spaghetti film. It starred an ensemble cast of Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Amjad Khan , Sanjeev Kumar , A. K. Hangal, Sachin, and Hema Malini . The film is one of the greatest movies in Hindi cinema courtesy of its grandeur, performances, technical brilliance, action, music, and direction. It was at the top of the British Film Institute's 2002 poll of the 'Top 10 Indian Films' of all time. The film was written by the legendary screenwriting duo Salim-Javed and went on to become one of the longest-running films of Indian cinema. Earlier, Ramesh Sippy , the director of the iconic film 'Sholay,' had shared an interesting anecdote about when he saw the audience's reaction to the film in the theaters when it was released. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo The director spoke with IANS, ahead of the film's 50th anniversary, and spoke about the time he was invited by a cinema owner to witness the firsthand reaction of the audience while it was being projected to the audience. He told IANS, "A cinema person called me. He said, 'Come to my cinema.' It was City Light Cinema. He said, 'Can you see there? No one is coming here to have a cold drink. There was an interval. No one came." "He said, 'Do you know why? Because those who were inside the hall were super attentive. They were behaving as if they have never seen anything like this. I said, 'Are you sure?'. He said, 'Absolutely. I see it every day. They do not come in the interval'," the director added. "Get the latest news updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
50 Years Of Sholay: Dharmendra Remembers Late Cinematographer Dwarka Divecha. See Pic
Mumbai: Veteran actor Dharmendra is remembering and paying homage to the cinematographer of his iconic film 'Sholay'. On Sunday, the actor took to his Instagram and shared a throwback picture of himself with the late Dwarka Divecha, the cinematographer on 'Sholay'. He also penned a note in the caption paying a tribute to the late artist, and urged his followers to rummage through the pages of the DOP's biography. He wrote, 'Late Shri Dwarka Divecha, director of cinematography ('Sholay'). He was always very loving and friendly with all of us. People behind the camera are hardly mentioned, though they bring us on the Silver screen. Please read his biography'. Dwarka Divecha was also an actor and had shared the screen with Shammi Kapoor, Padmini in 'Singapore'. He was also involved in creating the sets of 'Sholay', which is considered Hindi cinema's first Western Spaghetti film. It starred an ensemble cast of Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Amjad Khan, Sanjeev Kumar, A. K. Hangal, Sachin and Hema Malini. The film is one of the greatest movies in Hindi cinema, courtesy its grandeur, performances, technical brilliance, action, music and direction. It was top of the British Film Institute's 2002 poll of "Top 10 Indian Films" of all time. The film was written by the legendary screenwriting duo Salim-Javed, and went on to become one of longest running films of Indian cinema. Earlier, Ramesh Sippy, the director of the iconic film 'Sholay', had shared an interesting anecdote when he saw the audience's reaction to the film in the theatres when it released. The director spoke with IANS, ahead of the film's 50th anniversary, and spoke about the time he was invited by a cinema owner to witness the first-hand reaction of the audience while it was being projected to the audience. He told IANS, 'A cinema person called me. He said, 'Come to my cinema'. It was City Light cinema. He said, 'Can you see there? No one is coming here to have a cold drink'. There was an interval. No one came'. 'He said, 'Do you know why? Because those who were inside the hall were super-attentive. They were behaving as if they have never seen anything like this'. I said, 'Are you sure?'. He said, 'Absolutely. I see it every day. They do not come in the interval'', the director added.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Kolkata fans relive Sholay memories as the film turns 50
It's been half a century since Sholay galloped onto the big screen, redefining Hindi cinema. Ramesh Sippy's magnum opus remains etched in the hearts of audiences for its unforgettable characters, evergreen songs, and dialogues that have outlived generations. In Kolkata, the love for the film is more than nostalgia — it's an emotion, a keepsake, and in some cases, a lifelong obsession. We spoke to some die-hard Sholay fans from the city, and their stories are as colourful as the movie itself. A special screening and a star encounter Sholay started slow but quickly turned into a phenomenon. Its popularity was so immense that it led to special screenings, including one in Kolkata where its star cast was present. Ramesh Kumar Damani, an insurance professional & a determined fan, seized the opportunity to meet his idol. 'I found out that Amitabh ji was staying at Oberoi Grand in Kolkata. I went there and somehow reached the fourth floor Presidential suite-402. I met him & got a picture with him,' he said. The 'City of Jai' For entrepreneur Anurag Chirimar, his love for Sholay is deeply intertwined with his admiration for Amitabh Bachchan. His collection of memorabilia includes a rare Sholay LP signed by Bachchan himself. He even personalised his car as a unique tribute to Big B. 'I showed him my car, on which, as a tribute, we mentioned Kolkata as the 'City of Jai',' he said, highlighting the personal connection fans feel with both the film and its star. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo Perfect mix of every mood For communications professional Sreeraj Mitra, Sholay is the gold standard of Hindi cinema — a film that ticks every box. With its mix of drama, action, romance, and music, it's a story he never tires of revisiting. 'I have watched Sholay for more than 20 times. Its perfect blend of drama, action and romance has made it stand out as a cult favourite,' he said. A movie for all moods For Rajpal Sidhu, an IT professional from the city, Sholay is a movie he turns to for comfort and joy, regardless of his mood. 'I've watched it 50 times at least. It is my go-to movie on a bad day or a good day,' he shared. He believes the film's enduring appeal lies not just with the main characters, but with the entire ensemble. 'What makes the movie what it is, is the fact that even the side characters played their parts very well,' he said. I think the harmonica-lantern scene from Sholay featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri is one of the most romantic ones in the history of Indian cinema – Sreeraj Mitra "Get the latest news updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
