50 years of Sholay

The iconic Sholay has completed 50 years of its release, marking a significant milestone in its cinematic journey. Written by Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan, the 1975 film features the legendary Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra in the lead alongside Amjad Khan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan and Sanjeev Kumar.

As the film celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, veteran actress Hema Malini is delighted.

The actress-turned-politician says, “It feels great. When I started working on Sholay, I didn’t know that it would be such a hit, and after 50 years, you would be asking me questions about it in Parliament. That was a different time.” She also emphasises that there can never be another Sholay, seemingly referring to the current trend of remakes.

Released in 1975, Sholay has 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.

Directed by Ramesh Sippy, the film underperformed at the box office, only to become a favourite in the following years.