Latest news with #Basanti
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Hema Malini recalls doing her own stunts in 'Sholay,' reveals initial disappointment with Basanti's role, and plans to show the classic to her grandchildren
As Ramesh Sippy 's 'Sholay' completed 50 years on Friday, Hema Malini looked back on her experience of playing Basanti, one of Hindi cinema's most iconic characters. Speaking to IANS, the actress revealed that during her prime years, filmmakers often wrote action sequences especially for her. 'If Hema Malini is there in the film, we must make her fight; that was the sentiment,' she laughed. In Sholay, too, she was given memorable stunt sequences, particularly the now-legendary tanga chase where Basanti bravely drives the horse cart while dacoits pursue her. 'Every scene in the film is a moving shot; nothing is static. That's why the film still feels alive after all these years,' she reflected. Wanting more from Basanti at first Interestingly, Hema admitted she wasn't thrilled when Sippy first narrated Basanti's role to her. Coming fresh off the blockbuster Seeta Aur Geeta, where she carried the film on her shoulders, she worried Basanti might be overshadowed. 'I was disappointed at first. I thought, 'Why such a small role for me when there are so many other characters?'' she recalled. It was only after Sippy assured her that Basanti's character would leave a strong emotional and cinematic impact that she agreed. Today, Basanti's witty, bold, and spirited presence is regarded as one of the most beloved parts of Sholay's timeless ensemble. 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 Introducing 'Sholay' to the next generation Even as audiences continue to celebrate 'Sholay' half a century later, Hema Malini admitted her grandchildren haven't seen the film yet. 'I don't think so,' she said. The actress concluded by saying, 'But now that it has completed fifty years, I will show it to them. I'll make them sit with me in my mini theater at home and watch it together.' Janmashtami 2025: Hema Malini Celebrates Krishna's Birth, Sends Devotional Wishes To Fans "Get the latest news updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
"Basanti became my second name in real life": Hema Malini on 'Sholay' completing 50 years
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) "Basanti became my second name in real life": Hema Malini on 'Sholay' completing 50 years (Picture Courtesy: Facebook) "Basanti became my second name in real life": Hema Malini on 'Sholay' completing 50 years (Picture Courtesy: Facebook) 1 2 Bollywood actress Hema Malini has expressed gratitude to the audience as Ramesh Sippy 's iconic film 'Sholay' completed 50 years of its release. On Friday, the actress, fondly remembered as 'Basanti' from the film, shared a video on Instagram, writing, "Sabhi ko Basanti ka Ram Ram. "Sholay" has completed 50years. Here are my wishes for the team and gratitude to the audience and my fans for all their blessings and unconditional love. " I thank the audience for giving this film In the video, Hema said, "Namaste, Basanti here. The iconic Hindi film Sholay has completed 50 years of its run in different parts of the world. There are very few Indian films which have equalled or surpassed this record. I have been fortunate to contribute to the stupendous success of the film in a pivotal role as Basanti. In fact, the role had such an impact on the viewing public that Basanti became my second name in real life. I congratulate all my co-artists, Vero, Jayay, Radha, Thakur, Gabbarsingh and many others. And the production team, including the director Ramish Sipriji, Salim Saheb, Javed Saheb, Late RD Burmanji and the many members of the technical team. Sholay would be incomplete without each team members participation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The film continues to create history even after five decades. I thank the audience for giving this film so much love. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and nostalgia for being remembered as Basanti even today. Today, the 15th of August 2025, marks its 50th year, and I am happy standing at the crossroads of the historical event in which I have played a substantial part. I celebrate this event with the Hindi film world and my fans. 'Chal Dhano' gets it for the next 50 years." Recently, the Film Heritage Foundation announced that the restored version of Sholay will have its North American premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 6. The gala screening will take place at the 1,800-seater Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. The Film Heritage Foundation took to their Instagram account to make the announcement along with a caption that read, "Indian cinematic epic 'Sholay' (1975), directed by Ramesh Sippy, celebrates 50 years with the North American Premiere of the restored version at the 50th edition of the TIFF Toronto International Film Festival! This special screening will take place on September 6, 2025, at a gala event at the 1800-seater Roy Thomson Hall, befitting the legendary status of the film. " 'Sholay' is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. It starred legendary actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan and Amjad Khan, among others. Released on August 15, 1975, 'Sholay' turned into a cult favourite in Indian cinema , owing to its powerful story, memorable characters, iconic dialogues, and the evergreen songs like 'Yeh Dosti', 'Mehbooba Mehbooba', 'Haa Jab Tak Hai Jaan', 'Holi Ke Din' and others. The film's story focuses on the fictitious Ramgarh village, where retired police chief Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) plans to defeat the notorious bandit, Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan), with the help of Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmendra). Upon arriving in the village, the duo realises the menace of Gabbar Singh and double their efforts to help Thakur. Jaya Bachchan and Hema Malini are seen playing Jai and Veeru's love interests as Basanti and Radha, respectively. "Get the latest news updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
Canada News.Net
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Canada News.Net
"Basanti became my second name in real life": Hema Malini on 'Sholay' completing 50 years
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 15 (ANI): Bollywood actress Hema Malini has expressed gratitude to the audience as Ramesh Sippy's iconic film 'Sholay' completed 50 years of its release. On Friday, the actress, fondly remembered as 'Basanti' from the film, shared a video on Instagram, writing, 'Sabhi ko Basanti ka Ram Ram. 'Sholay' has completed 50years. Here are my wishes for the team and gratitude to the audience and my fans for all their blessings and unconditional love.' In the video, Hema said, 'Namaste, Basanti here. The iconic Hindi film Shole has completed 50 years of its run in different parts of the world. There are very few Indian films which have equalled or surpassed this record. I have been fortunate to contribute to the stupendous success of the film in a pivotal role as Basanti. In fact, the role had such an impact on the viewing public that Basanti became my second name in real life. I congratulate all my co-artists, Vero, Jayay, Radha, Thakur, Gabbarsingh and many others. And the production team, including the director Ramish Sipriji, Salim Saheb, Javed Saheb, Late RD Burmanji and the many members of the technical team. Sholay would be incomplete without each team members participation. The film continues to create history even after five decades. I thank the audience for giving this film so much love. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and nostalgia for being remembered as Basanti even today. Today, the 15th of August 2025, marks its 50th year, and I am happy standing at the crossroads of the historical event in which I have played a substantial part. I celebrate this event with the Hindi film world and my fans. 'Chal Dhano' gets it for the next 50 years.' Recently, the Film Heritage Foundation announced that the restored version of Sholay will have its North American premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 6. The gala screening will take place at the 1,800-seater Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. The Film Heritage Foundation took to their Instagram account to make the announcement along with a caption that read, 'Indian cinematic epic 'Sholay' (1975), directed by Ramesh Sippy, celebrates 50 years with the North American Premiere of the restored version at the 50th edition of the TIFF Toronto International Film Festival! This special screening will take place on September 6, 2025, at a gala event at the 1800-seater Roy Thomson Hall, befitting the legendary status of the film.' 'Sholay' is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. It starred legendary actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan and Amjad Khan, among others. Released on August 15, 1975, 'Sholay' turned into a cult favourite in Indian cinema, owing to its powerful story, memorable characters, iconic dialogues, and the evergreen songs like 'Yeh Dosti', 'Mehbooba Mehbooba', 'Haa Jab Tak Hai Jaan', 'Holi Ke Din' and others. The film's story focuses on the fictitious Ramgarh village, where retired police chief Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) plans to defeat the notorious bandit, Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan), with the help of Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmendra). Upon arriving in the village, the duo realises the menace of Gabbar Singh and double their efforts to help Thakur. Jaya Bachchan and Hema Malini are seen playing Jai and Veeru's love interests as Basanti and Radha, respectively. (ANI)
News18
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Hema Malini Reacts To Sholay's 50th Anniversary, Says There Can Never Be Another Film Like It
Bollywood legend Hema Malini, who'd played the memorable role of Basanti in the iconic film 'Sholay', reacted to the film completing 50 years of its release. She said that she'd never expected the film to reach such stupendous heights and that there can never be another film like it. Watch this video for more.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Sholay@50: Stuntwoman Reshma Pathan who gave her blood and sweat to Basanti's role
Mumbai, 'Sholay' will always be remembered as a movie that gave birth to characters like Jai-Veeru, Thakur, and a menacing villain in Gabbar Singh but it also changed the life of stuntwoman Reshma Pathan, who doubled as Basanti in Ramesh Sippy's 1975 directorial. Sholay@50: Stuntwoman Reshma Pathan who gave her blood and sweat to Basanti's role Pathan, who emulated Malini's walk and body language while shooting all of her tonga sequences, said she gave her blood and sweat for the movie that became the cult classic of India cinema. The 71-year-old stuntwoman performed about three to four scenes on the tonga, including when Malini's Basanti picks up Jai and Veeru from the railway station and for the song 'Koi Haseena Jab Rooth Jaati Hai Toh'. 'I gave it my all for the tonga scenes, worked extremely hard. I remember for one of the sequences I got badly hurt,' Pathan told PTI in an interview. The injury occurred during a tonga scene when one of its wheels struck a stone, throwing her off balance and causing a painful fall. 'I had 17 stitches on my leg. At that time, my sister was supposed to get married, and I needed money. I was told, 'We will send you back home since you're injured'. 'I requested my Guru ji , 'Let me try the tonga sequence again, if it works it will be a win-win situation for both of us, I'll get money and you all will get what's needed for the scene',' she said. Pathan said she had swollen legs but still gave the shot. 'I couldn't even wear slippers, they asked me to rehearse the scene, to gauge whether I'll be able to do it or not. Somehow, I managed to drive the tonga but suddenly I started bleeding from my legs. 'I didn't tell them that and lied that I would do it. If I would not then I would lose my chance to earn,' she added. 'Sholay' marked a turning point in Pathan's life, bringing her much-deserved recognition. She said she was inundated with offers, and often worked three shifts a day. With over 500 films to her credit, Pathan's career features collaborations with some of Bollywood's most distinguished actors from the 70s and 80s, including Waheeda Rehman, Rekha, Sridevi, and Dimple Kapadia. Recalling working with Malini, Pathan said she developed a camaraderie with the lead actor who went to recommend her name to other filmmakers. '... especially whenever there was a need for a duplicate. I was exactly like Hema ji's Basanti in 'Sholay', I was talkative and lively,' the stuntwoman said. Pathan also shared a warm equation with Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan. 'Jaya ji used to sit quietly, she would not get mixed up. Amit ji and Dharam ji used to talk to me. We did many scenes together on the tonga. In one of the scenes with the horses, wherein I saved a little girl, Dharam ji gave me ₹100 rupees as a token of appreciation.' After 'Sholay' emerged as a blockbuster, Pathan also became famous and was invited to a lot of chat shows. 'Through this film many people got to know the kind of work I did. I started getting a lot of work offers, like I would do three shifts a day. 'Sholay' was the biggest hit of all these movies and I was called 'Sholay' girl,' she added. In 2019, a film based on Pathan's life, titled 'The Sholay Girl', was released on streaming platform ZEE5. Actor Bidita Bag portrayed Pathan in the movie, which was directed by Aditya Sarpotdar. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
