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News18
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Hema Malini REVEALS She Didn't Want To Play Basanti In Sholay: 'Wasn't Excited, Itna Chota Role'
Hema Malini revealed how director Ramesh Sippy convinced her to say yes to Sholay. 50 Years of Sholay: Hema Malini starred as Basanti in Ramesh Sippy's Sholay, and it remains one of her most iconic roles to date. However, the actress was first hesitant to say yes to the part as she felt that the role was too small. In a chat with the Hindustan Times, Hema Malini revealed that Ramesh Sippy convinced her to say yes by telling her she would regret not being part of the film. Hema Malini said, 'When the film was first offered to me, I wasn't very excited about it. I even asked him 'Are you sure? You are offering me ek tange walli ka role, itna chota role?' See, I had worked with him earlier in Andaz and Seeta Aur Geeta, where I had a double role." 'So when he said, 'There are so many artists in the film, and you're also playing one character,' I felt it was a small role. I told him, 'This doesn't inspire me.' But he looked at me and said, 'Just say yes. Otherwise, you will repent.' That's exactly what I did, and I'm thankful I listened," she added. However, playing Basanti wasn't completely easy for her. She recalled, 'I was a bit confused about how to deliver the dialogues. Then Javed (Akhtar) sat with me, narrated the scene, and enacted it himself. I just picked up the way he said it and added my own flair. That's how it became what it is today. Even now, people come up to me and quote Basanti's dialogues. It makes them so happy—and that makes me happy too." Hema reflected, 'Who knew that Basanti would become so iconic today? When I go in gathering, I can't get off the stage till the time I don't recite one of Basanti's dialogues. That's her craze in today's time. Basanti was ahead of her time even 50 years ago. Ek ladki jo tanga chalati hai, she was a self-made woman." She added, 'She lived life on her own terms. She was all alone and still looked after herself. That is what made the character special. Even now, when I think of her, I feel she truly represents what we today call 'aatma nirbhar.' So in a way, she was ahead of her time. And imagine, back then, I didn't even know how important that would become one day." 'I've seen a few shows where they talk about Basanti or use it as a reference, but I'm not very active on social media. I've heard that there are many memes and that people love quoting her dialogues," the veteran actress said. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Hema Malini on 50 years of Sholay: I didn't want to play a tonga girl, Ramesh Sippy convinced me
As Sholay completes 50 glorious years on August 15, veteran actor Hema Malini looks back on the journey of one of Indian cinema's most iconic films with fondness, nostalgia, and deep emotion. In a candid conversation, the actor recalls her memories from the sets, working with Dharmendra & Amitabh Bachchan, how the character of Basanti came to life, and why Sholay continues to be a powerful part of her identity even today. Hema Malini as Basanti Read the excerpts from the conversation: How does it feel to see Sholay completing 50 years? It's an iconic film, and my character was iconic. I think this role brought so much happiness to the people who watched it and it's still bringing joy to the people who are watching it now. The character I played was so loved by so many people all over the world, which was something I didn't expect. Even today, people all over the world talk to me about Basanti. I don't think a film like this can ever be made again. So many people have asked if there should be a remake, and I always say that it is not possible even if someone tried to. Even if director Ramesh Sippy himself, tried to remake it, it wouldn't be the same. What was your initial reaction to the feedback that Sholay got and then the instant success it got? Initially, the film wasn't close to our hearts and were all just doing our roles. But it became close to our hearts because of how successful it turned out to be. We knew it was a different kind of film, very different from what I was doing at that time. But no one thought it would become such a phenomenon. When it completed 25 years, we were already amazed. Now it's 50 years, and some of us are still alive to witness this milestone. Sadly, many are not around to see this celebration. What is your favourite scene or memory from the film? Sholay was a complete package, it had everything—action, drama, comedy. Even the action sequences were so unique. Everything about the film was crafted with so much care and style. We started shooting with the mandir scene (Veeru standing behind a Lord Shiva idol in the temple and impersonating the deity as Basanti prays for a good husband) which involved Dharmendra (Veeru), Amitabh (Jai) and me. It was such an exceptional start to this beautiful journey. The production was so disciplined. If a scene wasn't completed in time, we would pick it up the next day at the same location. It was very organized. And there were always different units shooting in various places, one shooting a song, another doing a scene, it was all happening simultaneously. What was your first reaction when you were offered Basanti's character? When the film was first offered to me, I wasn't very excited about it, I even asked him 'are you sure? You are offering me ek tange walli ka role, itna chota role?' See, I had worked with him earlier in Andaz and Seeta Aur Geeta, where I had a double role. So when he said, 'there are so many artists in the film, and you're also playing one character,' I felt it was a small role. I told him, 'This doesn't inspire me.' But he looked at me and said, 'Just say yes. Otherwise, you will repent.' That's exactly what I did and I'm thankful I listened. Were there any difficulties you faced in creating Basanti's character? Developing Basanti's character, especially her quirky dialogue delivery, came with its own challenges. I was a bit confused about how to deliver the dialogues. Then Javed (Akhtar) sat with me, narrated the scene, and enacted it himself. I just picked up the way he said it and added my own flair. That's how it became what it is today. Even now, people come up to me and quote Basanti's dialogues. It makes them so happy—and that makes me happy too. Who knew that Basanti would become so iconic today. When I go in gathering I can't get off the stage till the time I don't recite one of Basanti's dialogue. That's her craze in today's time. Did you ever imagine Basanti becoming such a rage? What do you think about the memes and popularity of Basanti's character? Basanti was ahead of her time even 50 years ago. Ek ladki jo tanga chalati hai, she was a self-made woman. She lived life on her own terms. She was all alone and still looked after herself. That is what made the character special. Even now when I think of her, I feel she truly represents what we today call 'aatma nirbhar.' So in a way, she was ahead of her time. And imagine, back then I didn't even know how important that would become one day. I've seen a few shows where they talk about Basanti or use it as reference, but I'm not very active on social media. I've heard that there are many memes and that people love quoting her dialogues. How did Sholay impact your career? Sholay definitely made me more popular, and people would often recognize me as Basanti. Back then, some people thought I was just signing films like Sholay casually. Even today, when I go for campaigning or public events, people demand that I recite Basanti's iconic dialogues in her style - 'Chal Dhanno ... aaj teri Basanti ki izzat ka sawaal hai'. Whether I'm in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, or Chhattisgarh—once I finish talking about the party, they all want the dialogue. Sometimes lakhs of people are there, and they won't let me leave without hearing it. Sholay influenced, your and Dharmendra sir's love story. How was it working with him? We really enjoyed working together. While we were shooting for the song Koi Haseena Jab Ruuth Jaate To… (by Kishore Kumar and RD Burman), off-camera, Dharam ji was very calm and normal, but the moment the camera started rolling, Veeru is who you would see, so much humor came out of him. We had a great time shooting outdoors in places like Mysore and Bangalore. We used to travel an hour from the hotel to the location. Today, Ramnagar, where we shot, has become a tourist spot. They've kept it just the way it was. It brings back so many memories. How was it working with Amitabh sir? We didn't have too many scenes together. Very few, actually. So not much to recall from that particular film, but of course, I've worked with him in many others and it's always been a great experience. More than me working Amitabh, it was so refreshing to see how not only Basanti became a rage but Jai-Veeru's bonding and their equation won so many hearts. The bond between Jai and Veeru was the soul of Sholay. Their friendship wasn't just written into the script—it felt real, alive. And of course, with Dharmendra ji playing Veeru, that chemistry became even more unforgettable. There was a charm in their banter, their silences, and that unspoken loyalty. That kind of bonding is rare in cinema today. Are there any plans for you to return to acting in the near future? I'm not interested in OTT. I've done nearly 200 films—beautiful, meaningful films that even children can watch. That's the kind of cinema I relate to. Nowadays, you have to think about who should watch which film, and not everything is suitable for everyone. I don't want to do anything I'm not comfortable with. If I return, it will be for something I truly believe in, not just because it's trending. I'm proud of my body of work. Do you have a favourite film among the ones you've worked on? Both Sholay and Sita Gita are my favorites. Ramesh Sippy gave me the opportunity to showcase my talent, and I'm grateful to him for that. More than me, my grandchildren absolutely love watching Seeta Aur Geeta. They enjoy it so much! Out of all my films, that's the one they keep going back to. It makes me so happy to see the next generation connecting with something I did so long ago.
NDTV
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
The Making Of Sholay: Why Amjad Khan Was Almost Dropped As Gabbar Singh
It's been 50 years since Sholay first lit up the big screen on August 15, 1975. But it's that rare film that hasn't aged; instead, it has grown in stature. Dubbed the quintessential "curry Western", it remains a cinematic monolith that defies time. The boomers quote it, the Gen-X reveres it, the millennials remix it, and the Gen-Z discovers it afresh. Each generation finds its own echo in its immortal frames. This is the story of how two writers with a dream, a director with a vision, and a cast of future legends made a film that didn't just entertain but also became a part of India's collective memory. At a literary festival, I once asked screenwriter Javed Akhtar, "How did you create Sholay in a way that even its smallest characters are unforgettable? What was the formula?" Smiling, he replied in jest, " Humein toh nahin pata formula, pata hota to dobara bana lete Sholay. Aapko pata hai to aap mujhe bata dijiye". He recalled that Sholay began with Salim Khan's story idea about a retired Army Major hiring two court-martialled soldiers to avenge his family, but producer GP Sippy, wary of military restrictions, swapped the major for a police officer to allow greater creative freedom. It wasn't supposed to be a big-budget multi-starrer but as writers Salim-Javed fleshed out the characters, they took on a life of their own. Initially, there were no characters like Basanti, Radha or even a grand ensemble of stars as the focus was on the fierce battle with the dacoit. The screenplay blended elements of the rural dacoit tradition with cinematic tropes borrowed from Sergio Leone's Westerns and the Samurai cinema in a way that was uniquely Indian. In an era when many scenes and dialogues were improvised on set, Sholay stood apart with a complete, "bound script with dialogues" ready before shooting began. Fresh from the massive success of Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), the 27-year-old director Ramesh Sippy envisioned Sholay on a grander scale, and his father, GP Sippy, agreed to back him with a then-unprecedented Rs 3 crore budget. It was he who decided that the film should be India's first 70 mm film and would boast of stereophonic sound. The Legendary Casting Today, it's impossible to imagine Sholay without Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, or Amjad Khan but the process was far from straightforward. Dilip Kumar and even Pran's names were discussed to play Thakur, but Hema Malini, Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar were the leading stars of Ramesh Sippy's recent blockbuster Seeta Aur Geeta. For Ramesh Sippy they were a natural choice. Both Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar were also in love with Hema Malini and trying to woo her. For the role of Jai, Ramesh Sippy initially considered Shatrughan Sinha. Amitabh Bachchan was far from the towering "angry young man" and hadn't tasted success, yet. But Salim-Javed backed Bachchan after seeing his fierce, though yet unreleased, performance in Zanjeer (1973). A trial screening of Zanjeer was organised and Ramesh Sippy decided Bachchan was his Jai. But it was the role of Gabbar Singh that troubled Ramesh Sippy the most. For Gabbar Singh, the now-iconic villain, Danny Denzongpa was signed but as the shooting dates were finalised, Danny realised his shooting dates for Sholay clashed with the shooting dates already assigned for Feroz Khan's Dharmatma. He decided to leave Sholay and suddenly panic set in Ramesh Sippy's mind. The shoot was a few weeks away and Gabbar Singh was one of the major characters. Amjad Khan, son of actor Jayant, was seeking a breakthrough in films. He had done some good roles in theatre. Writer Salim Khan had known him since childhood. He happened to meet Amjad Khan and encouraged him to audition for Gabbar Singh after Danny Denzongpa dropped out. "Ramesh Sippy will have the final say, but it's a brilliant role. You can try your luck," he told him. Amjad Khan met Ramesh Sippy, who found his face "interesting" and asked him to grow a beard. With fierce passion, Amjad Khan threw himself into preparing for the role. He studied Abhishapta Chambal, a book on dacoits penned by Jaya Bhaduri (now Bachchan)'s journalist father Taroon Coomar Bhaduri, and immersed himself in Gabbar Singh's world before the screen test. At home, Amjad Khan's pregnant wife Shaila Khan helped him rehearse. He also drew inspiration from a washerman in his childhood who would call to his wife with a distinct tone, " Arre o Shanti". He adapted that tone perfectly for his iconic line, " Arre o Sambha". Salim-Javed helped Amjad Khan master the tone and diction. He memorised every line, grew a beard, and blackened his teeth before his screen test at Ramesh Sippy's office. Amjad Khan was finalised as Gabbar Singh. A newcomer ready to take on the giants in a monumental film. But it was not as easy as it sounded for Amjad Khan. The Shooting Of Sholay And 'Gabbar Singh's Struggle' The film's outdoor scenes were primarily shot in the rugged, rocky terrains of Ramanagara, near Bangalore (now Bengaluru), which would later become famously known as " Sholay Hills". This rocky landscape, with its towering granite cliffs and sparse vegetation, perfectly captured the wild, lawless atmosphere of the fictional village Ramgarh. But the location posed major challenges due to its remoteness and lack of infrastructure. The cast and crew camped in tents for months, braving harsh conditions. Aside from the location shoot, a prison set was built outdoors near Rajkamal Studios in Bombay to match Ramanagara's natural light. The iconic train robbery scene was filmed on a narrow-gauge railway line along the Bombay-Poona railway route near Panvel. Later, a part of Ramanagara was even nicknamed "Sippy Nagar" in honour of the director. The shooting of Sholay began in October 1973. The first scene to be shot was the one where Amitabh Bachchan returns the safe keys to Jaya. The most crucial sequences to be shot on this rugged terrain were Gabbar Singh's scenes. When Amjad Khan arrived in Bangalore for the first schedule, nerves gripped him. On day one, his very first line to shoot was - " Kitne aadmi the?" Despite months of preparation, Amjad Khan struggled. Clad in worn Army fatigues and blackened teeth, he had lived the role for months, but now, facing the camera, Amjad Khan struggled. Everything felt forced, unnatural. His hands trembled, his voice wavered as he tried to mimic the menacing tobacco-grinding habit. After endless takes, Ramesh Sippy and the cameraman urged him to rest. Sitting alone on set, while others filmed around him, Amjad Khan felt crushed. His mind raced to his newborn son and his father, Jayant, battling cancer. Ramesh Sippy poured his heart into Sholay, blending perfection with indulgence. The pivotal scene where Gabbar Singh massacres Thakur's family took 23 grueling days to film. Even a brief, poetic moment of Radha extinguishing lamps as Jai plays the harmonica spanned 20 days because Ramesh Sippy wanted to film it exclusively during the fleeting "magic hour" between sunset and dusk. The only scene that was added to the complete bound script was the watertank comedy scene with Dharmendra. Ramesh Sippy had felt that he needs to add a comedy scene with the biggest star of the film in the tense second half. Throughout the first schedule, Amjad Khan lived in Gabbar Singh's fatigues, struggling to embody the role. Yet Ramesh Sippy didn't shoot a single frame of him. As the crew came back to Bombay after the schedule, whispers spread in the industry - "Has Ramesh Sippy made a mistake casting a newcomer?" The whispers grew so loud that even Salim-Javed, who had championed Amjad Khan as Gabbar Singh, couldn't ignore them. They apparently told Ramesh Sippy to replace Amjad Khan if he's not sure about him. Rumours swirled that Amjad Khan would be dropped. But in the end, Ramesh stood his ground. Amjad Khan would be Gabbar Singh. Amjad Khan returned for the next schedule transformed - calm, razor-focused, and determined as if it were do-or-die. He nailed his scenes in just a few takes, living Gabbar Singh so completely that he stayed in costume even off camera. Later, he came to know about the rumours, and the hurt ran deep. He couldn't fathom why his strongest supporters Salim-Javed had turned. The wound perhaps never healed; Salim-Javed had created the Gabbar Singh legend, yet never worked with Amjad Khan again. Meanwhile, another tale of heartbreak quietly unfolded during the making of Sholay. The Love Triangle Beyond The Script Initially, during the casting, Dharmendra was drawn to Thakur's role after hearing the script. But Ramesh Sippy slyly steered him toward Veeru, joking that if roles were swapped, Sanjeev Kumar would get Hema Malini in the end. The Dharmendra-Hema Malini romance had just begun, and Sanjeev Kumar had already proposed to her once. Their families had even met, but Sanjeev Kumar insisted Hema Malini quit films after marriage, a condition Hema Malini's mother flatly refused. Sanjeev Kumar's biographer Hanif Zaveri had told me that during Sholay 's shoot, unaware of her relationship with Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar proposed again on set. This unexpected proposal made both Hema Malini and Dharmendra very upset. According to Zaveri, there was tension on the set. Dharmendra asked the film's director, Ramesh Sippy, to maintain some "decorum" on set. He even requested that Hema Malini and Sanjeev Kumar should not be given any scenes together. As the biggest star on Sholay, his wish was granted by Ramesh Sippy. Perhaps this is the reason that Thakur and Basanti never share a single scene in Sholay. Writers Salim-Javed and Ramesh Sippy, however, have never publicly spoken on the matter. Originally slated for six months, the shoot of Sholay stretched over a year, with months-long breaks, including one after Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan welcomed their first child. The 5-minute song sequence Yeh Dosti... took 21 days to shoot. The train robbery sequence took seven days. Ramesh Sippy recalled, "I told my father who was the producer that we will be going over budget but he was calm and cool. Also we had the stereophonic soundtrack which we used with the 70 mm widescreen format and that was expensive during those days." With most of the leading stars juggling multiple projects, coordinating schedules was a monumental challenge. To accommodate Sholay, many actors requested their producers to shift their other film shoots to Bangalore. Ramesh Sippy was so meticulous about every frame that Sholay was edited alongside shooting. Outdoor footage from Bangalore was sent straight to Bombay's Film Centre, where editor Madhav Shinde pieced it together before sending it back for Ramesh Sippy's approval. Editor Shinde trimmed 300,000 feet of footage into a sharp 3-hour 20-minute film. Sholay earned nine Filmfare nods but won only one - for Shinde's masterful editing. Emergency and Censor Board's 'Extreme Cruelty' Surprisingly, Sholay, celebrated as an "action" epic, features minimal on-screen violence. Most brutality is symbolic. Remember Thakur's family massacre? Not a drop of blood is shown. When Imam (AK Hangal)'s son, Ahmed (Sachin Pilgaonkar), is killed, Gabbar Singh simply crushes an ant. Or even the climax, the cruel Gabbar Singh is not killed but simply handed over to the police. It's common knowledge that the original climax had Gabbar Singh being killed brutally by Thakur. But do you know there was also a chilling scene of Gabbar Singh killing Ahmed by stabbing his eye with a hot iron rod, declaring, " Tadpa-tadpa ke maroonga". These scenes were cut by censors reasoning "extreme cruelty". At the 2018 Pune International Film Festival, Ramesh Sippy recalled the Emergency era restrictions. "During the Emergency, our hands were tied. They were not happy about Thakur killing Gabbar Singh with his feet. I was also caught in a sticky situation... How else would Thakur kill him? He couldn't have used a gun since he had no arms," he had said. The Censor Board members said, "We'll tell you how to end the film". Forced to comply, Ramesh Sippy altered the ending to show Gabbar Singh's arrest instead of his death. Today, the restored version proudly reveals the film's original, grimmer finale. "The Greatest Story Ever Told" - Sholay 's Independence Day Arrival On August 15, 1975, as India celebrated Independence Day, the country was already 51 days into the Emergency. Civil liberties were suspended, the press tightly controlled, and tensions ran high. That same day, Ramesh Sippy's magnum opus, Sholay, arrived in theatres. The poster of Sholay had a caption that declared: "The greatest star cast ever assembled! The greatest story ever told!" The team had poured their sweat and soul into it. Trial audiences had cheered. Salim-Javed brimmed with pride as director Ramesh Sippy had brought their vision to life with a scale and splendour Indian cinema had never dared before. But the euphoria crumbled fast. Despite its grand canvas and galaxy of stars, the film failed to ignite the box office in the first few days. The reviews were all discouraging. The film industry soon settled on a verdict - Sholay had failed. A ripple of panic spread through the camp. Determined to save the film, producer GP Sippy, director Ramesh Sippy, and Amitabh Bachchan held a meeting with Salim-Javed. "They were of the opinion that we should rewrite some scenes that they will re-shoot and add to all the prints of Sholay," Salim Khan had told me. But they were startled to hear Salim-Javed in all confidence assuring them, "You don't have to do anything. The film cannot fail". Javed Akhtar told them that Sholay would earn Rs 1 crore per territory. They were startled by Salim-Javed's confidence that felt almost reckless. But that week the film publication Screen and Film Information and Trade Guide carried a striking full-page ad which proclaimed: - "We, Salim and Javed, guarantee that Sholay will do more than Rs 1 crore in every major territory". Whether sheer belief or a daring stunt, that daring move sparked the flame that changed everything. Slowly, audiences began to line up. The film's iconic lines such as " Tumhara naam kya hai, Basanti?", " Jo dar gaya, samjho mar gaya", and " Kitne aadmi the?" quickly caught fire, embedding themselves into the heart of popular Hindi cinema. Fifty years on, these dialogues have achieved a near-mythic status, quoted and referenced endlessly in popular culture. Screenwriter Salim Khan told me, " Log humse kahte hai ki kya zabardast dialogue likhe aapne - 'Kitne aadmi the?' 'Holi kab hai?' I laugh because these were the simplest lines that became popular. In fact, Sholay had some really great lines like ' Jaante ho duniya ka sabse bada bojh kya hai? Boodhe baap ke kandhe par jawan bete ka janaza' but people remember ' Kitne aadmi the? '" Sholay 's iconic dialogues were released separately as dialogue records and cassette sets. It turned the dialogue into a unique phenomenon, becoming collectors's items. This move added a new dimension to the film's cultural impact, with Gabbar Singh's chilling line, " Pachas-pachas kos door, jab koi bachcha rota hai to maa kahti hai, so ja nahin to Gabbar aa jayega," echoing in every home. For Amjad Khan, it was redemption. Amjad Khan struggled the most during Sholay, battling doubts, endless retakes, and whispers of replacement. Yet, it was this very role that would immortalise him. So iconic was Gabbar Singh that even a biscuit company used his name to sell biscuits to children. No villain in Hindi cinema has ever cast a shadow as deep or unforgettable as his. Javed Akhtar has reflected on that audacious Rs 1 crore promise in many interviews since. "We were proven wrong, the film earned far far more than Rs 1 crore." Sholay shattered box office records, completing an astonishing 60 golden jubilees across the country. It was the first Indian film to celebrate a silver jubilee in over 100 theatres. But more than just a commercial triumph, Sholay became a cultural landmark. Half a century on, Sholay 's resonance still shapes India's soft power and cultural soul.
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
50 years of Sholay: Hema Malini says she will show the film to her grandchildren
'Sholay,' the biggest blockbuster of Indian cinema, celebrates its Golden Jubilee; Hema Malini shared with IANS that she wants to show the iconic film to her grandchildren. Hema Malini played the iconic role of Basanti in the film, a character that is remembered even today. When asked, "We are talking about Sholay even after fifty years. You have grandchildren. Have they seen 'Sholay'?" Replying to this, Hema Malini said, "I don't think so, but now that it has completed fifty years, I will show it to them. I will make them sit in my house one day and watch it in mini theater, definitely." Hema Malini also revealed that initially she was not happy with the role she was offered in 'Sholay' as she thought it was a small role as compared to her earlier hit films like 'Sita and Geeta.' She said, "When 'Sholay' was offered to me, after making 'Seeta Aur Geeta,' the same director, Ramesh Sippy , told me, 'So many other characters are there, and you are also one of them.' So I was feeling a little disappointed, thinking, 'Why only a small role for me? Why not a bigger role?" However, the actress was informed by the director that her role will have a big impact, and insisted that she accept the role. She further mentioned, "I had faith in him. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo So I said, 'Okay, I will do it.' The first day of the shooting, when we went, he told me that it is different than what you have done in all these years". "I said, 'Is it just like a Geeta's role in Seeta Aur Geeta?'. He said, 'That was different; this is different but similar.' And then they told me how the dialogue I'll be speaking and all that. And then because it's a long dialogue, I have to speak continuously, nonstop. So that was the beauty of the whole character. It was very witty and I was the only one who was giving relief in the film," she added. 'Sholay,' the most iconic film of Hindi cinema, was released on August 15, 1975. Although it initially received a lukewarm response at the box office, it gradually gained momentum through word of mouth. "Get the latest news updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
50 years of 'Sholay': Hema Malini says she didn't rehearse for 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' song
Veteran actress Hema Malini has shared that she didn't do any rehearsal for the song 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' from the iconic film 'Sholay'. The actress spoke with IANS, ahead of the 50th anniversary of the film, and said that the song demanded less of dance and more of an act. Talking about the same, she told IANS, "No rehearsal at all. It is more of an act; it's a scene. Scene and dance. But there was no rehearsal. Whatever was needed, we used to do on the spot. As per the situation, as per the sequence, what the director is planning, we would do it. It was nothing difficult to do, but it took at least 15 days to picturize the song." The actress also spoke about how she was offered the film. Back in the day, the film industry didn't have bound scripts; the scenes were written and shot in real time. She said, "No, back in the day, when we would accept a film, the director would come and narrate the story to us. If I like it, I would accept it. If I didn't want to do it, I would say 'No'. So when 'Sholay' was offered to me, after making 'Seeta Aur Geeta', the same director, Ramesh Sippy , told me, 'So many other characters are there, and you are also one of them.' So I was feeling a little disappointed, thinking, 'Why only small role for me? Why not a bigger role?'" However, the actress was informed by the director that her role will have a big impact, and he insisted that she accept the role. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo She further mentioned, "I had faith in him. So I said, 'Okay, I will do it.' The first day of the shooting, when we went, he told me that it is different than what you have done in all these years." "I said, 'Is it just like a Geeta's role in Seeta Aur Geeta?'. He said, 'That was different; this is different but similar.' And then they told me how the dialogue I'll be speaking and all that. And then because it's a long dialogue, I have to speak continuously, nonstop. So that was the beauty of the whole character. It was very witty, and I was the only one who was giving relief in the film," she added. 'Sholay' is set to clock 50 years of its release on Friday. "Get the latest news updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
