As 'Sholay' completes 40 years, we bring you some trivia as well as unforgettable dialogues from the cult classic
Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan in Sholay
The 1975 cult classic 'Sholay', whose success is cinema folklore, completes 40 years on August 13. Directed by Ramesh Sippy, the film starred Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra in lead roles along with their respective wives, Jaya Bachchan and Hema Malini. Incidentally, the film had bombed on its initial release in India, but went on to become a blockbuster after it was withdrawn and re-released a few weeks later.
Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan in 'Sholay'
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hitlist rewinds to 20 iconic dialogues from the film and shares 20 did-you-know trivia associated with it..
20 interesting tidbits
>> Sanjeev Kumar’s character of Thakur Baldev Singh was named after writer Salim Khan’s father-in-law Baldev Singh Charak.
>> Sharman Joshi’s father, Arvind Joshi played one of Sanjeev Kumar’s sons.
>> Dharmendra was keen to play Thakur Baldev Singh, but relented when director Ramesh Sippy informed him that Kumar would play Veeru. As Dharmendra was in love with Hema Malini, he agreed.
>> Before the film’s shoot, Sanjeev Kumar had proposed marriage to Hema Malini and she did not want any scenes with him.
>> Amjad Khan was almost dropped from the project because writer Javed Akhtar found his voice too weak for Gabbar Singh’s role.
>> Gabbar Singh has only nine scenes.
>> Sachin received a refrigerator as remuneration for his acting.
>> The train robbery sequence (filmed at a railway line near Panvel) took about 20 days to shoot.
>> Mushtaq Merchant plays two roles — one, as the train driver and the other as a Parsi man whose motorcycle Jai and Veeru steal
>> Shatrughan Sinha was initially cast for Jai’s role, but Amitabh Bachchan convinced the producers that he was ideal for the role.
>> Salim Khan had recommended Amitabh Bachchan for Jai’s character. It met with some opposition, but a trial of Zanjeer convinced them to cast him.
>> A qawwali, Ke Chand Sa Koi Chehra, was recorded but dropped owing to the movie’s length. It was sung by lyricist Anand Bakshi besides Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar and Bhupendra.
>> Javed Akhtar had proposed Amjad Khan’s name after spotting him in the play, Ai Mere Watan Ke Logon.
>> Filmmaker Manmohan Desai was first approached by Salim-Javed for this movie. He was busy with Chacha Bhatija (1977) and could not accept the project.
>> Mac Mohan traveled 27 times from Bombay to Bangalore to shoot for the role of Sambha, who had only three iconic words to say, “Poore pachaas hazaar.”
>> Sholay’s budget was nearly R3 crore.
>> Veteran singer Manna Dey was supposed to sing the Mehbooba Mehbooba track, but when it was recorded in the voice of R D Burman, it sounded so good that Dey requested it to be the way it was.
>> Sholay’s producer GP Sippy gifted all leading stars gold bracelets on the film’s diamond jubilee.
>> Six counterfeit coins with a head on both sides were specially made for the coin tossing sequence.
>> The lighting of the lamp scene by Radha (Jaya Bachchan) after sunset took 20 days to film, but was there for hardly two minutes in the film.
>> Amjad Khan (Gabbar Singh) bought his army fatigues from Chor Bazar.
>> Sholay took nearly two and a half years to complete.
20 unforgettable dialogues
>> Basanti, in kutton ke saamne mat nachna
>> Chal Dhanno, aaj teri Basanti ki izzat ka sawaal hai
>> Arre o Sambha, kitna inaam rakhe hai sarkar hum par
>> Tera kya hoga, kaliya?
>> Aaadhe idhar jao... aadhe udhar jaaoo... baaki hamare peeche aao
>> Bahut yaaraana lagta hai
>> Yeh haath humko de do Thakur
>> Tumhara naam kya hai, Basanti?
>> Jo darr gaya samjho marr gaya
>> Holi kab hai... kab hai holi
>> Suwar ke bachchon
>> Hum Angrezo ke zamane ke jailer hain
>> Itna sannata kyu hain bhai?
>> Yahan se pachas pachas kos door gaon mein jab bachcha raat ko rota hai, toh maa kehti hai bete soo ja, soo ja, nahi toh Gabbar Singh aa jayega
>> Ek ek ko chun chun ke maaronga
>> Kutte... Main tera khoon pi jaunga
>> Yeh Ramgarh waale apni betiyon ko kaun chakki ka pisa aata khilate hai re?
>> Sardar, maine aapka namak khaya hai... ab goli kha
>> Kya samajhkar aaye the? Ki sardar bahut khush hoga, shabashi dega?
>> Yeh haath nahi... phansi ka phanda hai
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