Starcast: Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Hema Malini, Amjad Khan, Sachin, AK Hangal, Asrani, Jagdeep, Mac...
Starcast: Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra, Amitabh
Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Hema Malini, Amjad Khan, Sachin, AK Hangal, Asrani,
Jagdeep, Macmohan
Director: Ramesh Sippy
Music: RD Burman
The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Greatest Starcast
Ever Assembled...screamed film posters 50 years ago when Sholay was released on
August 15, initially to a muted response. What was touted as a failure, a
flop film, turned around the fortunes and fates of all those associated
with the film and achieved iconic status with books after books dedicated to
the making of this epic film.
Writing a review for one of the greatest films made
in cinematic history in the golden jubilee year of its release will be doing a
disservice to Sholay. So let's just call this piece a revisiting of a
classic, the stuff that legends are made of, a film that has left an indelible
mark on all its viewers down the years
Sholay was a very simple tale of revenge and
justice, friendship and loyalty, courage and sacrifice penned by
Salim-Javed. A retired police officer Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) hires
two convicts Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Amitabh) to take revenge on the
dreaded dacoit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) for gunning down all members of his
family. The two turn up in the village where the boisterous Veeru falls for the
talkative Basanti the tangewali (Hema Malini) while the reticent Jai slowly and
silently falls for the Thakur's only surviving member of his family, his
widowed bahu Radha (Jaya). The two also come to know of Gabbar's notorious
escapades and how he has been torturing and killing the village people
over the years. Matters come to a head when Basanti is picked up by Gabbar's
gang and Jai falls to his bullet.
Be it Ramesh Sippy's deft direction and the way
he got all the members of his cast to carve a special niche for
themselves, the music by RD Burman, Helen's iconic item number, the
performances by each and every member of the cast, the sound effects, the
atmosphere, the action... Everything is top notch and of the best quality.
Above all it's believable. The viewer invests his/her emotions in the film,
making the characters a part of his/her life... No wonder that so many can
rattle off the dialogues of the film without batting an eyelid when asked
to do so.
A film that had something for everyone has stood
the test of time. Even 50 years after its release one gets a fresh thrill at
yet another viewing.
Technically too Sholay was way ahead of its time.
One of the first Indian films to be shot in 70mm with stereophonic sound, it
gave its audience a larger-than-life experience which was both thrilling and
captivating.
While Amitabh Bachchan, who is still the undisputed
Shahenshah of Bollywood even in his 80s, found the shooting of the film to
be an "unforgettable experience," Dharmendra called Sholay "the
eight wonder of the world" in a recent statement. Danny may have been
pencilled in to be Gabbar initially, but one can never think of anyone else but
Amjad Khan in the role which gave the late and lamented actor legendary status
in the pantheon of cinematic villains.
Even 100 years later people will sing "Yeh
dosti hum nahin todege", RD Burman's ultimate ode to friends and
friendship or shake a leg to the seductive "Mehbooba mehbooba". They
will still recite the dialogues of the film.... Tumhara naam kya
hai Basanti, Kitne aadmi the, Yeh haath mujhe de de thakur.... Sarkaar maine
aapka namak khaya hai...abh goli kha...which have achieved cult status by now.
They will continue to swear by Jai and Veeru's dosti... they will continue
to shiver in fear everytime the name Gabbar Singh is mentioned.... Yes...
Sholay is not a film... it is an experience to be felt and imbibed as a viewer.
There is but no one who has not seen Sholay at
least once. If there is such a person who is yet to be touched by
the Sholay magic then he/she needs to get his/her head examined. You
cannot not see this film at least once in your lifetime and get away with it.
No comments