In time for its 50th anniversary, Sholay, the classic Indian epic film, has been restored and is ready for the big screen again! We scoped out all of the details so you won’t have to search around. Read on and we’ll fill you in!
Sholay the Movie
Sholay was originally released in 1975. Directed by Ramesh Sippy, it’s an action, thriller, comedy, tragedy with revenge! It takes inspiration from classic films like Once Upon a Time in the West and Seven Samurai. It follows a pair of small-time outlaws who are released from prison and recruited by a police officer to hunt down an infamous bandit. It played for an incredible period of 5 years at the Minerva cinema in Mumbai. In 1999, BBC India named Sholay “Film of the Millennium.” In 2002, a British Film Institute poll named it the greatest Indian film ever made.
The cast includes Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri, and Amjad Khan. It was written by Salim-Javed and produced by G.P. Sippy. It was shot in the rocky terrain of the southern state of Karnataka, spanning a period of two years from 1973 to 1975.
It was the first 70mm film for India and the first movie in Hindi with stereophonic sound. The ending was changed, and multiple scenes were deleted before the film was distributed.
Amitabh Bachchan said, “Shooting for the film was an unforgettable experience, but at the time I had no idea that it would be a watershed for Indian cinema. Its dramatic change in fortunes from being declared an unsuccessful venture to its record-breaking box office run was an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. I hope that even 50 years later, the film will capture the imagination of new audiences across the world.”
The Restoration
It took 3 years to fully restore Sholay. They found and restored deleted scenes and added back the original ending. They used original 35mm negatives that were found in a warehouse in Mumbai, as well as materials found at Iron Mountain in the UK. The original ending and deleted scenes were found in London. The reels went to L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna, where they worked with the recovered interpositives to restore the film to its former glory.
Actor Dharmendra said, “Sholay is the 8th wonder of the world. I am thrilled to hear that the film is being restored, and I am sure it will have the same success as it had 50 years ago. Who can forget the dialogues of Salim-Javed and the direction of Ramesh Sippy? So many scenes have gone down in the history of Indian cinema, and every character became a star. But the real hero was the coin.
Few people know that I was offered the role of Gabbar and Thakur, but I was clear that I wanted to play the role of Veeru, as he is so much like me. I had so much fun on the shoot. My favourite scenes were the tanki scene, the scene in the temple, and so many others, but the most powerful scene I feel was the death of Jai, which is still etched in my mind.”
A Debut for New Audiences
The fully restored Sholay will play to audiences at the Piazza Maggiore in Bologna on a grand open-air screen during the Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival. They expect thousands of people to come from all over the world for the historic viewing. The festival is from June 21 – June 29, 2025.
