Initially a flop – Despite its legendary status today, Sholay received mixed reviews and had a slow start at the box office before eventually becoming a blockbuster

Original ending was different – In Ramesh Sippy’s original cut, Thakur kills Gabbar Singh, but the censor board found it too violent and made the makers change the ending so that police arrest Gabbar instead

Amitabh’s role was nearly given to someone else – Dharmendra initially wanted to play Jai, but Ramesh Sippy convinced him to take on Veeru, giving Amitabh Bachchan his unforgettable role

First 70mm film in India – Sholay was the first Indian film shot in the 70mm format with stereophonic sound, making it a technical milestone

Gabbar Singh had minimal screen time. Despite being the main villain, Gabbar appears on screen for only about 9 minutes in total

Real-life inspiration for Gabbar Singh – The character of Gabbar Singh was inspired by a real-life dacoit from Chambal Valley. Danny Denzongpa was the first choice for Gabbar – Danny had to decline the role due to his shooting schedule for Dharmatma, leading to Amjad Khan’s iconic debut as Gabbar

Shooting lasted over two years – The film’s elaborate action scenes and large-scale production meant that it took about two and a half years to complete shooting

Basanti’s horse was named Dhanno in real life too – The horse Hema Malini rides in the film was actually called Dhanno off-screen as well

Jaya Bhaduri was pregnant during filming. She was expecting her first child with Amitabh Bachchan while shooting the song Yeh Dosti

Amjad Khan was almost replaced – Initially, Javed Akhtar felt Amjad’s voice was too weak for Gabbar, but after some persuasion, they decided to keep him—and it became one of the most famous voices in Indian cinema

‘Kitne Aadmi The?’ was unscripted in delivery. While the line was written, Amjad Khan improvised its delivery, giving it that haunting pause-filled menace

Location was a real village – The fictional village of Ramgarh was shot in Ramanagara, near Bangalore, which has since become a tourist attraction known as Sholay Hills