FILM · 1975 · INDIA
Sholay
140 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (140)
- #001
Actor Amjad Khan was nearly dropped from the project because screenwriter Javed Akhtar found his voice too weak for the role of Gabbar Singh.
- #002
The scene in which Gabbar kills Thakur's family is an adaptation of the killing of the McBain family by Frank in Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West.
- #003
In the original ending, Thakur killed Gabbar. The Indian Censor Board rejected this ending, saying that the lawless side of the law undermined the rule of law and could negatively influence pure young minds. A new ending was therefore created in which the police run in at the last moment and arrest Gabbar, telling Thakur in particular that only the law has the right to punish criminals. The original ending was restored in the 204-minute director's cut.
- #004
Although Sholay was a major success, it won only one Filmfare Award (Best Editing: MS Shinde… Best Film, Best Dialogue, Best Direction and other awards went to Deewar).
- #005
It was the first film in the history of Indian cinema to celebrate its silver jubilee (25 weeks) in its initial run in more than 100 cinemas across India.
- #006
The character of Gabbar Singh was so famous that Britannia Biscuits made a commercial in which Amjad Khan eats a biscuit. It was the first time a villain character was used to promote a company's products. The advertisement was an instant hit with children and sales doubled.
- #007
The film was directly inspired by Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) and Bandidos (1967). At the time, some critics had even begun calling it a curry western.
- #008
Initially, Dharmendra was willing to play the role of Thakur Baldev Singh. He was finally relieved when the director told him that if that happened, Sanjeev Kumar would play Veeru and take the hero's role. Sanjeev Kumar had just proposed marriage to Hema Malini. Dharmendra was in love with her and quickly went back to the role of Veeru.
- #009
There was in fact a dacoit named Gabbar Singh around Gwalior in the 1950s. According to reports, he cut off policemen's noses and ears.
- #010
Jai and Veeru took their names from Salim Khan's university friends: Veerandar Singh Bias, the son of a jagirdar at Khajrana Kothi, Indore, and Jai Singh Rao Kalevar, a Pindari warrior and vegetable farmer. Both have since died.
- #011
Shooting the train robbery scene on the Mumbai-Pune line near Panvel took about 20 days.
- #012
The film was shot extensively in Ramnagaram near the Indian city of Bangalore. This town has the giant granite rocks that form the backdrop of Gabbar Singh's hideout. As a mark of respect, the people of Ramnagaram renamed a locality in the town Sippynagar in memory of the film's director, Ramesh Sippy.
- #013
The famous tank scene, in which Veeru threatens Mausi with suicide and Jai tries to propose marriage, was taken from a real-life incident.
- #014
Sachin received a refrigerator as payment for his acting.
- #015
Sharman Joshi's father appeared in the film as one of Sanjeev Kumar's sons.
- #016
Salim Khan explains how Jai's coin-tossing trick was adapted directly from Garden of Evil, starring Gary Cooper. In that film, Gary Cooper and Richard Widmark draw cards to decide who will leave to fight the Apaches and who will stay behind.
- #017
It was India's second 70 mm stereophonic sound film. Its premiere was held at Mumbai's Minerva theatre.
- #018
It was Javed Akhtar who recommended Amjad Khan after seeing him and his brother Imtiaz in the 1963 play Ai Mere Watan Ke Logo. Amjad had appeared in several films before, but Sholay was his first major billing.
- #019
Although it is universally accepted that Sambha has only one line of dialogue in Sholay, he speaks at least once more. As Ahmed rides away from Ramgarh, Gabbar's men are seen playing a card game. Sambha says, "Chal be Junga, chidi ki rani hai," and one of the other thugs replies, "Chidi ki rani toh thik hai Sambha, woh dekh chidi ka gulam aa raha hai."
- #020
Actor Mushtaq Merchant plays two roles in the film. The first is the train driver in the famous train scene. The second is the Parsi man whose motorcycle Jai and Veeru steal.
- #021
It was Salim — known to younger audiences as Salman Khan's father — who suggested Amitabh Bachchan for the character of Jai. The suggestion met with some opposition, but the case of Zanjeer convinced them to choose Amitabh.
- #022
The original film was made on a budget of 3 crore, while 25 crore was spent on the 3D version released in January 2014.
- #023
Dharmendra did not use any makeup in this film.
- #024
It was about to be pulled from cinemas because of low audience numbers, but attendance began to rise, and the word-of-mouth film became the biggest hit in Indian cinema, playing in some cinemas for several years (until Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)).
- #025
The film's dialogues made such an impact when it was released that an audio cassette of the entire film came out, which people listened to while going about their daily work.
- #026
The comic scene in which Bachchan's character meets Basanti's (Hema Malini) mausi with Veeru's marriage proposal was taken from a conversation Khan had with the mother of Honey Irani (Javed Akhtar's then future wife). Honey eventually married Javed. It was partly inspired by the famous scene in Half Ticket (1962) in which Kishore Kumar paints a terrifying picture of himself to scare off a pandit who has come with a possible marriage alliance.
- #027
Jagdeep's role as Soorma Bhopali was added after the film was completed. Salim-Javed were very insistent that the character of Soorma Bhopali be added to the film. They approached Jagdeep and he refused. The first reason was that the film was already complete and they had not considered him for Asrani's guard role. The second reason was that producer G. P. still owed Jagdeep money from the film Bhramchari. Salim-Javed initially wanted Pran for the role, but they feared his Punjabi accent would be too heavy and that the role would not suit him. In the end Jagdeep accepted the deal, under which he would be paid the full market price for the small role.
- #028
Salim Khan, who was very drunk at Sholay's premiere, got into a verbal argument with Amjad Khan. The matter nearly reached the point of a fight until Amitabh Bachchan separated them. The next day Salim Khan apologised for what he had done.
- #029
While presenting Dharmendra with the prestigious IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, Amitabh Bachchan famously thanked him for recommending him for the role of Jai, which he had won at the expense of Shatrughan Sinha thanks to Dharmendra's influence. He said: "I want to share a secret with you all. If it weren't for Dharamji, I couldn't have been a part of this wonderful film Sholay. He was the one who suggested my name to Mr Ramesh Sippy, and I truly thank him for that."
- #030
Mac Mohan travelled from Bombay to Bangalore 27 times to shoot Sambha's small role.
- #031
In 2015, director Ram Gopal Verma was fined 10 Lakh for remaking Sholay as Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag in 2007, which was a huge disaster.
- #032
On 15 August 1996, on the 21st anniversary of Sholay, the film was shown on Doordarshan for the first time. That day, with the film airing on television in many parts of the country, the streets were almost empty.
- #033
Jaya Bachchan was pregnant with her daughter Swetha Bachan during the film's shooting, while Sholay was released when she was later pregnant with her son Abhisheik Bachchan.
- #034
Amjad Khan's call to Sambha, one of his colleagues, drew the attention not only of cinema lovers but also of producers. As a result, a producer immediately announced a film titled "Sambha."
- #035
At the success party for Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), producer G. P. Sippy discussed with Ramesh Sippy that they should make an action film with Hema Malini and Dharmendra, and the first seed of Sholay was developed there.
- #036
Sholay's original ending showed Gabbar Singh being killed by Thakur. The Censor Board demanded that the film be reshot, and some action scenes were also reshot because the Censor Board found them excessively violent.
- #037
Amitabh Bachchan signed the film before Zanjeer.
- #038
A song originally a qawwali, "Ke Chand Sa Koi Chehra," was recorded but was cut from the film because of its length. One of the song's singers was lyricist Anand Bakshi, and the others were Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar and Bhupendra.
- #039
Danny Denzongpa was originally offered the role of Gabbar Singh, but he was busy shooting Dharmatma (1975) in Afghanistan. He could not accept the part, and the reluctant second choice, Amjad Khan, took his place.
- #040
Thakur Baldev Singh — Sanjeev Kumar's Thakur — is named after Salim Khan's father-in-law, the father of his wife Salma. The man was a dentist and still has a clinic in the Mumbai suburb of Mahim.
- #041
Dilip Kumar was considered for the role of Thakur, which Sanjeev Kumar later took on.
- #042
The writing duo of Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan first approached director Manmohan Desai with the story for this film. He was busy shooting Chacha Bhatija (1977) and could not take on the project.
- #043
Salim-Javed sold two ideas to the producers of Sippy's Majboor, and later a four-line idea that would become Sholay. Sholay was sold for a lower price (Rs. 1.5 lakh) than the other, Majboor (Rs. 2 lakh). Majboor was later sold to producer Premji.
- #044
Sholay's initial cinema run lasted 10 years at a Mumbai theatre. That record still stood until it was broken by Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), which as of 2015 was still showing in its first cinemas.
- #045
The test audience's reactions to Jai's death nearly caused the directors to change the ending.
- #046
Years later, Amitabh thanked Dharmendra at a recent prestigious awards ceremony for recommending him to Ramesh Sippy for a role in Sholay.
- #047
Salman Khan's uncle, a cousin of his father Salim Khan, tried to become an actor in the 1970s. He was the actor who delivered the line "Maalik jitna hain, sab laya hoon" in Sholay. He never found any stardom.
- #048
Everyone says Sambha has only one line in Sholay, which is not true. He had three lines in the film in total. 1. Gabbar: Aare kim Sambha, Kitna Inam Rakha hai sarkar humpar? Sambha: Pure Pachas Hazar. 2. Sachin (Imam Saheb's son) on his way to work. Those who caught him were Sambha and Jagga. Sambha — Chal be Jagga. 3. Then they take Sachin to Gabbar. Sambha — Sardar. Gabbar — Humm. Sambha — Ye, Ramgadh ka chokra hai, istation ja raha tha, humain raaste ana meela.
- #049
The scenes in which Radha extinguishes the lamps while Jai plays his mouth organ and watches were almost as time-consuming. These sequences build a gradual, wordless bond between the widow and the thief, as sympathy and admiration slowly turn into love. Capturing the right mood was crucial. They were two sequences of only about a minute each in the final film, and shooting them took twenty days. Ramesh and Divecha decided to shoot the scenes at the 'magic hour', a cinema term for the period between sunset and night. The light that falls at the magic hour is dreamlike in its warm golden colour. The director and the cinematographer specifically wanted the velvety twilight at the end of the golden colour. Before the evening darkness there is a shadowy gloom, yet still light enough to show the surrounding silhouettes. In fact they had only a few minutes to catch the shot. Preparations for the shot would begin after lunch. The lights and camera setup would be ready well ahead of time. Around five in the evening they would rehearse the shot and the camera movements. Then, between six and six-thirty, when the sun began to set, there was complete chaos. Everyone ran about shouting, trying to get the shot before dark. Sometimes they got one shot, sometimes two, and very rarely, with great difficulty, a third take. But there was never time to change the setup. Ramesh would not settle for anything less than perfection. There was always a mishap. The sun set earlier than expected, a light man made a mistake, the trolley movement was wrong, an object stood where it should not have been. There were times when Jaya lost her composure: 'Ramesh, nobody can see me,' she would say. 'That is a remote possibility, no viewer on the planet will notice continuity errors.' The answer was always: 'No, no, one more shot.' Ramesh dressed every frame. The shooting of the Lady of the Lamps became a kind of joke. It took several schedules to get it right. In fact, in terms of time spent, each sequence seemed to compete with the next. For example, the death of the blind Imam's son Ahmed (played by Sachin) took seventeen days. It was a long and complex sequence and initially included the actual act of killing: in the foreground meat is being roasted; Gabbar points a red-hot skewer at the boy and, with a gleeful look, tells his gang: 'Isko to bahut tadpa tadpa ke maroonga.' But this never made the final cut. Instead the scene cuts from Gabbar killing an ant to the horse carrying Ahmed's body to the village.
- #050
Yeh Dosti Hum Nahin Todenge (Happy). The whistling in this song belonged to R. D. Burman's long-time assistant Manohari Singh.
- #051
Real bullets were used during the shooting of the climax, and a bullet reportedly missed Amitabh Bachchan by a narrow margin.
- #052
Jagdeep, who played Soorma Bhopali in the film, had a qawwali number shot for Sholay. But when the film was completed it was a little too long, and the qawwali was cut on the editing table.
- #053
Sholay's titles say "Introducing Amjad Khan". Amjad Khan was not being introduced in the film; he had in fact tried his first adult role as a Pakistan Air Force pilot in Hindustan Ki Kasam (directed by Chetan Anand), released a few years earlier.
- #054
The massacre scene in which Gabbar destroys Thakur's family, the most important part of Sholay, was shot over three schedules in twenty-three days. It was a complex scene made up of several parts: the establishing of the family, Gabbar's arrival, the shootings, and then Thakur's arrival at the scene after Gabbar and his men slaughter his family and withdraw. Half of the scene had been shot when the weather changed and a cloudy sky replaced the bright sun. The unit waited two days for the sun to reappear. Then Ramesh realised the dark clouds were a celestial signal: the cloudy look was perfect for the scene. It emphasised the tragedy and heightened the sense of disaster. This also logically led to the point where the wind began to pick up and dry leaves flew over the bodies. He spoke with Divecha. Divecha said, 'It will not only look good, it will look very good. But what will we do if the sun comes out tomorrow?' Ramesh was willing to take his chances. 'Let's shoot,' he said. For the next two days they shot furiously. And then the sun reappeared. After a week's work, they had two versions of the same half-scene, one against a bright sky and one against cloudy weather. But Ramesh was determined. It would be clouds or nothing. So they waited for the gods to do the lighting. There were days when the sun played hide-and-seek, when they managed only a single shot, and some when they just looked at the sky. Shooting came to a complete standstill. To speed up the process, Divecha asked Anwar to make a screen to reflect the light. The screen had to be bigger than the house. Anwar bought up all the white cloth in the vicinity to create a hundred-by-seventy-metre screen. He sewed it himself with strong canvas thread. Once the giant screen was in place, shooting resumed, but there were takes where the effect created by the screen was not good enough. The gods had to intervene and bring the clouds back. But it was not just the clouds. Nothing seemed to go right. As they neared the end of the sequence, the small boy playing Thakur's grandson Alankar Usta had exams. If he did not sit them he would lose an academic year. Ramesh let him go. Later the fan that created a suitable wind by blowing dry leaves over the bodies decided to do its own thing. It would not start when they needed it. And once it started, it would not stop. In the end an aviation unit near Bangalore made another fan. It worked perfectly. The wind scattered yellow-brown leaves over the bodies and the white shrouds on them, as Thakur rode his horse, ready to seek out Gabbar in fury.
- #055
Gulzar was also worried about Sanjeev's commitment to Aandhi while shooting for Sholay. Gulzar asked Sanjeev why he cared about acting in a film with so many stars, no romantic lead and no songs. Sanjeev told Gulzar that he had signed on for the film because of the 4 powerful scenes he had with Amjad Khan. Those scenes were enough for the film. Gulzar later saw the film and acknowledged that Sholay belonged to Sanjeev and Amjad Khan.
- #056
In the end the audience learns that Jai's money is fake. This had been unwittingly hinted at at the beginning of the film, when the Jailer tells Thakur that Veeru and Jai are as useless as counterfeit money.
- #057
Casting for Sholay was more or less completed before the premiere of Zanjeer.
- #058
The film was re-released in 3D format on 3 January 2014.
- #059
Amit's song "Daaku" was a remix of several of Gabbar Singh's dialogues. It premiered on the international album The Parallel.
- #060
The scenes of Gabbar's hideout were shot at Ramnagram near Bangalore. Part of Ramnagram was renamed Sippynagar in honour of director Ramesh Sippy.
- #061
Completing the background music took a full month.
- #062
DJ Suketu made a remix titled "Sholay Mash Up 2015". The remix consisted of dialogues from the film.
- #063
In "Veer-Zaara", Hema Malini affectionately addresses Veer (Shah Rukh Khan) as Veeru.
- #064
At the Elite cinema in Calcutta, the film began its first week with a qawaali sequence. Gabbar Singh was shown to be in the army. He kills his officer and escapes from prison. Many people watched the film again a week later when it was shifted to the Jyoti cinema (because Elite had been reserved for another film) and the song and Gabbar Singh sequence had been removed.
- #065
Reshma Pathan, who served as Hema Malini's stunt double, was seriously injured when the Tanga overturned. Ramesh Sippy was almost about to cut her scenes, but Reshma returned to shooting within a few days.
- #066
From October 1973 to May 1974, the 'Sholay' unit had a schedule of ten to fifteen days in Bangalore every month. Each time they managed to do some work, but it was not enough. Delays grew further because in 70 mm every shot had to be done twice. After seven months of work, nearly a third of the film had not been shot. 'Sholay' had been planned as a six-month project. No one had thought it would take so long that Macmohan, who played Sambha, one of the smallest roles in the film, would travel from Mumbai to Bangalore twenty-seven times. Ramesh kept his famous composure. He had a grand vision for 'Sholay' and would not let the delays force him to compromise. As the budget went beyond the original one crore, G. P. Sippy occasionally made noise. 'What is happening?' he would ask. But he never pulled the plug. He was a gambler who had made a big bet. The flow of funds continued. Yet despite all the planning, things began to go wrong. The first schedule lasted ten days but very little work was done. Some days they managed ten shots, on others none at all. In the November schedule Ramesh completed only one scene. The resolve of no compromise became firm. Ramesh and Divecha were like painters trying to perfect their canvases with G. P. Sippy, the patron of the art, staying in the background, financing their dreams, budget and timelines.
- #067
All the sequences ended at Film Centre Kati. Among those that did not make it was a comedy track that came before the Soorma Bhopali episode. Maruti, a popular comedian of the time, played a dhaba owner in the film. Veeru and Jai eat at the dhaba, gargle and spit violently, and fight with Maruti, who objects to their doing quli on his premises. Mushtaq Merchant, playing an eccentric Parsi gentleman, had a scene in which he steals Veeru and Jai's motorcycle. It was reduced to a figure disappearing into the horizon just before the song 'Yeh Dosti'. Saachin's death scene was also cut. Shinde kept out brutal dialogues ranging from Gabbar killing an ant to the horse carrying Ahmed's body to the village. The editing matched the film's overall tone, in which violence is suggested more than shown. The audience never sees Thakur's arms being cut off. Like Gabbar raising his sword at the armless Thakur, Ahmed's unseen death had a far greater impact. 'Sholay' was finally ready in July 1975. Two and a half years of labour waited in tin cans. Looking at the film, Ramesh thought he had turned the corner and that the hardest part was behind him. He did not know the battle had just begun. Gabbar dies in 'Sholay' — or at least, as written by Salim-Javed, he dies in the original 'Sholay' that Ramesh shot. Thakur kills Gabbar with his feet, wearing shoes fitted with nails in the soles, by servant Ramlal. The armless Thakur first crushes Gabbar's arms. Then they stand face to face, two armless warriors, two equals. And then Thakur beats Gabbar to death as if he were a poisonous snake; he does not stop until the dacoit is a bloody pulp under his shoes. Then he collapses and weeps. He weeps long and deeply: the mission of his life is complete, but the only thing he feels is a great emptiness. It is a pyrrhic victory. Revenge breeds loss. The Central Board of Film Censors hated this ending. The Board objected to the suggestion that a policeman (even one no longer in service) would take the law into his own hands and commit murder. They also objected to the film's ballistic violence. It was not uncensored, but its choreography was so well done that it had a far greater impact than real blood. The audience did not see Thakur's arms being cut off, but the visual cut of Gabbar raising his sword towards Thakur, the sleeves of his empty shirt fluttering in the wind, was unforgettable. Ramesh had made violence aesthetic and attractive. If it were passed, 'Sholay' would open doors for fewer filmmakers. There would be cuts in 'Sholay'. But first the Sippys would have to change the ending. Ramesh was furious. It was as if he was being punished for being talented. Every nuance in the film had been carefully thought out and prepared. No frame was unnecessary. The Board did not just want cuts, it wanted a completely different ending; one in which the police intervene at the critical moment to prevent Thakur from killing Gabbar. It was like a parody of what had been done in hundreds of other films. It had none of the gloom or tragedy of the original. With such a weak ending, 'Sholay' would no longer be Ramesh's vision. It would be a completely different film. In the Emergency's determinedly repressive climate, fundamental rights did not exist. Neither did artistic freedom. Compromise was not a choice, it was the only option. But Ramesh was determined. He had not tried to run away for two years. He would not change his ending. Ramesh tried to reason with the Board members and showed them the flaws in their own arguments. But the Board did not back down. Increasingly frustrated, Ramesh did something that did not suit him at all; he raised his voice. The Sippys called in every connection they had. G. P. Sippy was a resourceful man with considerable influence. He worked the phones for hours, arranging powerful meetings. Everyone who might have influenced the Board got a call. There were also fierce arguments between father and son. Ramesh argued as an artist watching his work being torn apart, while G. P. argued as a realist who knew compromise was inevitable. At one point Ramesh even considered removing his name from the film. But in the end the producer prevailed. G. P. told Ramesh the facts: if they had been stubborn, the film could not have been released. Being a lawyer himself, he knew better than anyone the futility of going to court. They had no rights during the Emergency. And after three years of production they had very little money left. They could not afford to go to higher places.
- #068
The iconic Sholay broke the record of its time, reaching a massive figure of 30 RS crore worldwide and 15 RS crore in India.
- #069
Viju Khote said: "When I arrived I saw Amjad coming out. He told me, 'Viju, karle yaar bahut achcha role.' Months later I learned that Amjad had recommended me to the Sippys. I found out that because it was a very small scene, they had agreed with a stuntman who was a good horseman for the role. But it had not turned out the way Rameshji (Sippy, the director of Sholay) wanted. So someone who knew acting was needed."
- #070
The censor board refused to certify the film because of its violent climax, so Ramesh Sippy returned to Ramnagram with the necessary actors to reshoot the climax. Originally Gabbar Singh was to die in the film.
- #071
Sanjeev Kumar and Hema Malini were put up in different hotels because of their personal problems.
- #072
Javed Akhtar suggested that Gabbar Singh's voice be re-dubbed with Kader Khan's voice. Sanjeev Kumar agreed. This was the week the film was released and it was declared a failure. Coincidentally, after Danny left the film, it was Sanjeev Kumar who recommended Amjad's name and got him included in the film. Amjad Khan would later refuse to work with Salim and Javed. This was because of their statements that Amjad Khan's voice was like a mouse's.
- #073
The whistling in Sholay's title music was inspired by the whistle in the main theme of A Few Dollars More.
- #074
Kid Kishore remixed the song "Koi Haseena" and called it "Oi Haseena".
- #075
The Indian-American film Yeh Dosti (2003) took its name from the song "Yeh Dosti" in Sholay.
- #076
The music producer "DJ Gabbar Singh" took his name as a tribute to the legendary character Gabbar Singh.
- #077
The instrumental cover version of the song "Mehbooba" premiered on the international album Asha Bhosle & Kronos Quartet - You Have Stolen My Heart, Songs from R. D. Burman's Bollywood.
- #078
The High Plains Drifter vs Goldspot song "Sholay" sampled many of the film's dialogues. It was released on the international album The Roots of Dubstep.
- #079
Jaya Bachchan, who played Thakur's widowed daughter-in-law, was pregnant with her daughter Shweta during the shooting of Sholay and was pregnant with her son Abhishek at the gala when the film was released.
- #080
People entered the cinema hall as Hema Malini fans, Dharmender fans, Sanjeev Kapoor fans or Amitabh Bachchan fans and came out as Amjad Khan urf Gabbar Singh fans.
- #081
The Dhol Blasters album, first released in 1991, included a cover version of the song "Yeh Dosti". The new version had a Punjabi flavour and appeared on the "Bhangra Mix" (UK) track. It was sung by Narinder Winnie, G. Mall and S. Rall.
- #082
An officer's family is massacred. He remembers two youths brought to court for childish behaviour. But both were very brave. The army general decided to enlist them to take his revenge. Salim and Javed sold these 4 lines, and only these 4 lines, to producer Baldev Pushkarna without any treatment. Baldev signed Manmohan Desai to direct his next film. However, Manmohan Desai did not like the script. He wanted a light, hot, breezy comedy. Salim and Javed decided to sell him a lost-and-found comedy formula that turned into Chacha Bhatija.
- #083
The music at 0:29 of the song "Jalwa" in the film Wanted was inspired by the 0:56 part of the song "Holi Ke Din" in Sholay.
- #084
It is true that Sholay is definitely one of the greatest Indian films of 100 years of Indian cinema. On the occasion of the 100th year of Indian cinema, Sholay was the number 1 film segment-wise. However, others had different views. For one segment the number 1 film is Mother India. Mughal-E-Azam was also chosen as the number 1 film. But what matters is this: Sholay, Mother India and Mughal-E-Azam are all among the top 10 films of 100 years of Indian cinema.
- #085
Singer Saqi's EWC (East West Connection) song "Ankhian" sampled the song "Jab Tak Hain Jaan". The album was titled Nachural Selection and premiered in 1992.
- #086
The success of this film was so great that in 1990 Ramgarh ke Shoolay was released with Amjad Khan in the role of Gabbar… with all its imitators and as a C-grade film for low audiences… but it became a sleeper hit and earned far more than expected.
- #087
"Bombay Gangstarr", prepared by Bollywood Freaks, sampled "Sholay Title Music". From the international Bombay Gangstarr album.
- #088
Remixes of Sholay's dialogues were made by Amit and San J of The X Zecutive. This was the first time Sholay's dialogue was rearranged. It was for the Garma Garam Amitabh album. This was in 1990.
- #089
A remix of "Yeh Dosti" was made by Amit and San J of The X Zecutive. This was the first time the song was remixed. It was for the Garma Garam Amitabh album. This was in 1990.
- #090
Bali Brahmabhatt's "Sholay 2000 Mix" was a remix album containing dialogues and songs from the film.
- #091
Bali Brahmbhatt's 1998 remix album "Gabbar Mix" contained remixed songs and dialogues from the film.
- #092
Juttla sampled Amjad Khan's dialogues from the film and named the track "Gabbar Singh", from the album Aliens, Angels and Assasins.
- #093
The DJ Fede song "Bollywood Breaks" used the film's train sequence in its music video. It was from the album Back 2 The Boogie.
- #094
The background music of Sholay's train sequence was later used at the climax of Dev Anand's Warrant.
- #095
In the scene where Veeru teaches Basanti how to fire a gun and Jai teases Veeru by claiming to be James Bond's grandson, the original dialogue had Jai saying Veeru was the grandson of Tatya Tope. This was later changed to James Bond.
- #096
The song Jab Tak Hain Jaan was sampled from the Googoosh song Jomeh.
- #097
The actor Sachin, who played Ahmed, received a refrigerator as part of his acting fee.
- #098
The actor Habib was to play the role of Kaalia. However, due to his commitment to Dharmatma, he had to go to Afghanistan. Ramesh Sippy really wanted him in the film, so he gave him the role of Hira.
- #099
The Sholay scene featuring Jai and Mausi drew its inspiration from two films: Yarım Bilet and Dulhan Ek Raat Ki.
- #100
Sanjeev Kumar insisted on playing Gabbar Singh. To show Salim-Javed that he was good for the part, he messed up his hair and painted his teeth. However, Salim-Javed felt that Sanjeev's screen image won the audience's sympathy.
- #101
Salim-Javed were playing with the title "Aangarey" for the film. However, they later settled on Sholay. This title was Salim Khan's idea.
- #102
Amjad Khan signed a film after a 10-year struggle. While flying Bombay-Bangalore for the shoot, the plane had to make an emergency landing at Bombay airport due to a technical problem, and the passengers were left in fear. However, this did not kill his hopes, and he decided to stay at the airport until the next flight was announced.
- #103
Salim-Javed co-wrote Ramesh Sippy's first two films, Andaz and Seeta Aur Geeta, and on Sholay they were the main writers and the sole writers.
- #104
Ramesh Sippy came to see one of Amjad Khan's stage plays. Ramesh's sister Soni (Sunita) was also acting in this role. Sippy was impressed by Amjad and promised him a good role soon. To prepare for his role, Amjad Khan read everything he could about real-life dacoits, including a book by Jaya Bachchan's father, T. C. Bhaduri. After researching dacoits, he realized that Gabbar Singh had existed in real life. Gabbar Singh had vowed to cut off the ears and noses of 100 people. By the time he was 20, he was shot dead. The first thing Amjad Khan did was consult Ramesh Sippy and tell him that he did not want to wear the traditional dhoti, kurta, pagdi and tilak that all screen dacoits wore. The first thing Amjad Khan noticed was that real dacoits wore fake army, police and border security uniforms. This was done to fool the villagers and make them think help was on the way. The villagers would then be attacked and raided because they would not suspect the dacoits.
- #105
Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar and Hema Malini reunited after Seeta Aur Geeta. This film is Hema Malini's third with Ramesh Sippy (she was to appear in Shimla Mirchi, which premiered in 2020).
- #106
With Sholay's super success in 1975, it represented Dharmendra and Hema Malini's second consecutive blockbuster of the year, and Pratigya made them Indian cinema's hottest and most bankable jodi.
- #107
"Ke Chaand Sa Koi Chehra Na Pehlu Mein Ho" was initially planned as a qawwali, but was later composed as a Chaar Bhaand, a folk music form suited to the Bhopali character who was to sing it. The vocals in the song were panned hard left and right to create the effect of a listener seated in the middle of a conversation. The song was recorded but never filmed, as the film was already over three hours long.
- #108
When the film was announced, Pran's name was floated for the role of Thakur. However, Ramesh Sippy felt that Sanjeev Kumar was the best choice for the role.
- #109
Sachin was chosen by Ramesh Sippy because years earlier he had performed an emotional scene in Bramachari (1968), a film produced by his father G. P. Sippy. Ramesh Sippy still remembered that scene and thought Sachin would be the best choice for the role of Ahmed.
- #110
Sanjeev Kumar and Amjad Khan were shooting K. Asif's long-delayed film Love And God (1986) while casting was still ongoing. Sanjeev Kumar later suggested Amjad Khan for the role of Gabbar Singh.
- #111
Javed Akhtar wrote the character of Soorma Bhopali because he belonged to Bhopal. The character was in fact a person in Bhopal. Javed Akhtar wrote the character, recorded its dialogue on an audio cassette and sent it to Jagdeep, who also imitated Javed Akhtar's manner of speaking in the role.
- #112
After his success in the film, Sachin gifted Ramesh Sippy an air conditioner and then never asked for any fee.
- #113
"Basanti Inh Kutto Ke Samne Mat Nachna" was not the original dialogue. When Mac Mohan earlier aimed his gun at Dharmendra, Amjad Khan says the line "Utha De Bandook Aur Lag Nishana" on the Kutte Par. Dharmendra felt that his fans would not like a newcomer like Amjad Khan calling a senior actor like himself a Kutte. Dharmendra spoke to Ramesh Sippy and told him that he was Gabbar Singh, a villain, and could do it. Dharmendra then said he would use the same word in one of the dialogues; the original line was "Basanti Tum Nahi Nachna."
- #114
The film's premiere was held at the Minerva cinema in Mumbai with a 35 mm print because the 70 mm print was stuck in customs.
- #115
Actor Ranjeet said: "When Sholay was first announced in a newspaper, it showed Danny as the villain, but at that time we were shooting for 'Dharmatma' in Afghanistan and Feroz Khan told him to stay behind. He reasoned about what he would do in a film with three heroes; 'here, I'm giving you a solo song with Hema Malini.'" "After completing my portions in Afghanistan, I was to shoot in Bangalore, and Sholay's producers came to me to make their film, which was being shot at the same location. But how could I take my friend's place without his permission? Who knew Gabbar Singh would be such a big hit! But maybe it wouldn't have worked if I had done the role either," he added.
- #116
Ramesh Sippy said: "When I signed Amitabh Bachchan for Sholay (1975), he was going through a lean phase. Salim-Javed recommended him because they had worked with him on Zanjeer (1973). At that time I had seen two of his films. The first was Anand (1971), in which he stood out even though the praise went to Rajesh Khanna. The other was Bombay To Goa (1972), shot on a bus. I thought that if this tall gentleman could look so graceful inside a bus, he must have a rhythm in him. In Anand he was serious, here he was carefree. He had successfully taken on both a serious and a comic role. Jayaji (Bachchan) and he were a good combination to have. During the making of Sholay, we did not know that Zanjeer (1973) and Deewaar (1975) would be released and that he would become a superstar. Later we continued with Shaan (1980) and Shakti (1982). Shakti was again a difficult role for him because Dilip Kumar's role aroused great sympathy. He was the 'angry young man' playing his son. It was a tight-jacketed role with little room for performance. And it was difficult to stand in front of Dilip Kumar without much expression or dialogue and still convey the anger and pain inside us. The scene where his mother (Raakhee) dies and he comes and sits beside his father, gently touching him without saying a word, was wonderful. On set he was extremely attentive. Yes, he would chat with people, but he would be around the work. He would stand in a corner and watch Dilip Saab with young Anil Kapoor… He is not just an actor who goes by his heart, he is also a thinking actor. The ability to combine these two helped him grow as an actor over the years. In fact, you cannot find fault with his performance in any film. He is a class in himself. Our country does not lack good actors, but to be among them, to be above them, is a great achievement. Incredibly professional, probably the most disciplined actor we have. He will arrive on time, ask what needs to be done. He will also have done his homework. He will keep working and will not waste his own or his producer's time. He will not give up until he has done his best. He is always ready to try once more. You cannot find this combination of discipline, performance and understanding in anyone else. It would be wrong to say he never loses his temper. But I like it when he does. It means something on set is not going right. Something he needs is not there. Actors need respect. You must understand their needs."
- #117
Producer V. K. Sobti wanted to make a film for his brothers-in-law Jeetendra and Shatrughan Sinha. He approached Salim and Javed for a script. They narrated the script of Sholay, but Sobti did not like it. Salim and Javed then told the story to Manmohan Desai. The dacoit element in the script also bothered him. He chose the script of Chacha Bhatija instead.
- #118
Salim-Javed had a ghostwriter write the 1971 film "Adhikaar." In that film, Pran's character is from Bhopal. When Sholay was made, Salim-Javed repeated the same character and style for the Soorma Bhopali character with Jagdeep.
- #119
The horses used in the film were provided by the father of actor Jeetu Verma, known as Jojo from Solider 1998. His family runs a horse supply business for film shoots.
- #120
Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) marries Radha (Jaya Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmendra) marries Basanti (Hema Malini). Both couples are married to each other in real life.
- #121
Jayshree T was almost signed for the Mehbooba song. Helen got the film from Salim Khan.
- #122
The picturization of Samraat's song "Panja Chakka Satta" was inspired by "Yeh Dosti" from Sholay.
- #123
Bollywood's legendary production company Rajshri Productions distributed the film Sholay (1975).
- #124
The background music in the Parwana scene where Amitabh stands on the upper balcony and watches Navin Nischol and Yogita Bali get into a red car contains something very unique. The same kind of sound is heard in the background music of Gabbar Singh's introduction scene in Sholay.
- #125
The scene in Satte Pe Satta in which Amjad Khan lies back against a pillow had previously been shown in Sholay. Outside of Sholay, he is lying face down with the upper part of his body resting on a rock.
- #126
The melody/music at 2:15 in the song "Koi Haseena" from Sholay (the vocal version) was recreated as the main line "Fakira Chal Chala Chal, Fakira Chala Chal" in the song "Fakira Chal Chala Chal" from Fakira.
- #127
The train sequence full of dacoits in Sholay was inspired by the 1967 films Bandidos and The Northwest Frontier.
- #128
Gabbar Singh's scene with Kaalia was inspired by A Few Dollars More (1965).
- #129
Dharmendra's tank scene was inspired by The Santa Vittoria (1969).
- #130
The climactic scene in which Jai tells Veeru to leave with Basanti, along with all the scenes up to Jai's emotional death scene, were taken from or inspired by Garden Of Evil (1954), including Jai using a coin to make his decision.
- #131
The blind A. K. Hangal finding Sachin's body was inspired by A Town Called Hell (1971).
- #132
In a recent interview marking the 50th anniversary, actor Asrani admitted that after Danny declined the role of the dacoit Gabbar Singh, the part was offered to veteran actor Sunil Dutt. Given the casting of Dharmendra and Hema Malini, he would have had to demand top billing over them, which led the producers to ignore him. So Amjad Khan was lucky twice.
- #133
Rahul Dev Burman's vocals in Mehbooba were inspired by the singing style of the famous singer Louis Armstrong.
- #134
Sholay's title music later inspired the songs Hum Dilwale Sari Duniya in Jagir and Raju Chal Raju in Azaad.
- #135
Farooq Sheikh was offered the role of Sanjeev Kumar's son in Sholay. Farooq turned down the offer because he was playing the solo lead in Garam Hawa.
- #136
When Sholay performed poorly in its first week, Amjad Khan's voice was also blamed. One suggestion was that Kader Khan dub for Amjad Khan. In the end the film recovered. However, the relationship between Javed Akhtar and Amjad Khan deteriorated, and Amjad Khan never worked with Salim-Javed again.
- #137
Before Sholay, Ramesh Sippy and Amjad Khan visited the famous tarot card reader Delores. After laying out his cards, she told Ramesh Sippy that the film would run for 5 years and that this would be because of this man (pointing to Amjad Khan). Sippy and Khan were shocked and could not understand what she meant.
- #138
The background music of Sholay's train scene was used in Jeetendra's film Madadgaar.
- #139
Prem Nath was offered the role of Gabbar Singh before Danny Denzongpa.
- #140
Kanti Shah remade Sholay entirely with a female cast as "Jung Ke Sholay".
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