Exclusive: How Hema Malini And Dharmendra's Love Story Helped Make Sholay A Cult Classic
Sholay is all set to complete 50 years this August 15, 2025. It is a milestone indeed in Hindi Cinema, for a film which was initially declared a flop. From an iconic villain like Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) to the timless friendship of Jai and Veeru (Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra), the boisterous Basanti (Hema Malini) and the righteous jailer Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar), each character added gravitas to the entirety of the film whcih eventually found an audience and went on to becoming a cult classic.
In celebration of the upcoming 50th anniversary, Hema Malini spoke to NDTV about how her real-life romance with Dharmendra made their onscreen chemistry sparkle all the more.
What's Happening
Sholay's Basanti is, to date, one of Hema Malini's most iconic onscreen characters. Her character eventually falls in love with Veeru (Dharmendra), and they were very much in love in real life too.
Hema Malini smiles and shares, "He was very fond of me as I was of him. We had a lovely relationship because we had worked on so many movies together. We shared so much with each other - sometimes they were problems, sometimes it was happiness. Eventually, friendship led to love, maybe that's what was reflected on the big screen too, in the film."
She adds, "It's natural, isn't it? A lovely friendship ultimately leads to love and care for each other."
Hema Malini On Her First Scene Shot In Sholay With Dharmendra
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV earlier, Hema Malini recalled her fond memories of shooting the iconic Mandir scene with Dharmendra. Coincidentally, it was the first scene she had shot for the film.
She shared, "The Mandir scene was the first scene I shot. It was a lot of fun. So innocently, Basanti was accepting everything and answering back to Lord Shiva. Everything was very different. Shooting happened outdoors in hot summers; I don't think we shot anything indoors. Even Ramanagara in Karnataka, where the climax scene happens, is as it was. They have not built anything there."
About Sholay
Crafted by Salim-Javed, the plot revolves around two notorious criminals, Jai and Veeru (Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra), who are hired by a former jailer, Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar), as he seeks vengeance to bring down the vile bandit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan).
In A Nutshell
Hema Malini spoke about how the love and affection she shared with Dharmendra off-screen reflected on the big screen as they romanced in Sholay. She also spoke about how beautiful the friendship was that eventually led to becoming a love story.
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