The journey to restore ‘Sholay’ digitally

My first memory of ‘Sholay’ dates back to the time when I was six. I remember lamenting because my mother refused to allow me to go to the cinema to watch the film. I would never have imagined that 50 years later, I would have the opportunity to work on the restoration of the film — often described as the greatest Indian film ever made — with Shehzad Sippy of Sippy Films.

‘Sholay’ was a masterpiece of passion that generations of Indians have loved and seen time and again. Despite the fact that we could not use the original camera negative and that not a single 70mm print survives, we left no stone unturned to ensure that this historic film has not only been beautifully restored, but that the restored version will have the original ending and some never-before-seen deleted scenes.

In 2022, Shehzad initiated discussions with the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) regarding the restoration of ‘Sholay’. He indicated that the film elements were housed in a Mumbai warehouse and expressed his desire to entrust them to our care for preservation. Upon examining the contents of the film cans, which lacked labels, FHF made the remarkable discovery that they contained the original 35mm camera and sound negatives of the film.

Ramesh Sippy visited the archival office, visibly moved by the survival of these original film components. Shehzad informed us of additional film elements stored at Iron Mountain in the UK. With invaluable assistance from the British Film Institute, we were granted access. Subsequently, the reels from both London and Mumbai were transported to L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna to commence the intricate restoration process.

The restoration proved to be a complex endeavour, spanning nearly three years. The primary challenge lay in the condition of the original camera negative, which was severely deteriorated. Consequently, the restoration predominantly utilised the interpositives located in London and Mumbai. Fortuitously, the colour reversal intermediate discovered in London remarkably contained the original ending and two previously deleted scenes. We had also successfully acquired the original Arri 2C camera instrumental in the filming of ‘Sholay’.

Given the absence of 70mm prints, FHF consulted with veteran cinematographer Kamlakar Rao, who had collaborated on ‘Sholay’ with the film’s cinematographer, Dwarka Divecha. Rao recounted Divecha’s technique of employing a ground glass in front of the camera lens, upon which Rao made markings to delineate the margins of the 70mm frame. This invaluable insight guided our decision to adopt a 2.2:1 aspect ratio for the restored film.

Adding to our good fortune, the original magnetic sound elements were located at the Sippy Films office. The sound restoration was meticulously conducted utilising both the original sound negative and these magnetic elements. The final restored version is a culmination of efforts based on two interpositives and two colour reversal intermediates, incorporating the original ending and the deleted scenes, thereby reviving the director’s authentic vision for the film.

— The writer is director of the Film Heritage Foundation