Sholay: A Cultural Phenomenon: The cultural impact of the film on Indian cinema and society

Sholay, a 1975 Indian action-adventure film, directed by Ramesh Sippy and produced by his father G. P. Sippy, is not only a cinematic masterpiece but a cultural phenomenon that has had an immense impact on Indian cinema and society. 

The film features a stellar ensemble cast, including Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, and Amjad Khan, who brought to life some of the most iconic characters in Indian cinema history. Since its release, Sholay has been re-released several times, and its popularity continues to grow, making it one of the greatest Indian films ever made.

Sholay is not just a film, but a cultural phenomenon that has had an enormous impact on Indian cinema and society.

Released on 15 August 1975, Sholay was an instant box office success, becoming the highest-grossing Indian film of all time. The film's popularity continued to grow over the years, and it is still considered one of the greatest Indian films ever made. Sholay has been re-released several times, and it continues to draw audiences even today.

Memorable characters: One of the main reasons for Sholay's enduring popularity is its iconic characters. Each of the characters in the film is unique and memorable, from the heroic Jai and Veeru to the villainous Gabbar Singh. The film's dialogues have become part of the Indian lexicon, with lines like "Kitne aadmi the?" and "Yeh haath mujhe de de Thakur" being quoted and parodied in popular culture.

Grime and grittiness: Sholay also broke new ground in Indian cinema by introducing a more gritty, realistic style of filmmaking. The film's portrayal of violence and its depiction of the harsh realities of life in rural India was a departure from the escapist, romantic films that were popular at the time. Sholay's success paved the way for a new generation of filmmakers to explore more socially relevant themes in their films.

Breaking social taboos: Another reason for Sholay's cultural impact is the way it addressed issues of gender and class. The film's portrayal of the relationship between the upper-class Thakur and the lower-caste villagers was groundbreaking for its time. Similarly, the film's female characters were portrayed as strong and independent, challenging the traditional gender roles of Indian society.

Music, costumes: Sholay also had a significant impact on Indian fashion and style. The film's costumes, particularly Hema Malini's iconic white outfit, became hugely popular, and the film's music, composed by R. D. Burman, is still regarded as a classic.

Pop culture and Sholay: In addition to its impact on Indian cinema and society, Sholay has also influenced international pop culture. The film has been referenced and parodied in films and TV shows around the world, from Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill to The Simpsons.

Sholay, the enduring classic: In conclusion, Sholay is a cultural phenomenon that has had an enormous impact on Indian cinema and society. Its iconic characters, realistic style, and portrayal of gender and class issues have made it a timeless classic. Sholay's enduring popularity is a testament to its relevance and importance, almost five decades since its release.

Sholay in Popular Art: Hema Malini as Basanti

Sholay: Black & White Stills VI

SHOLAY Vintage Posters

Lead actors Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan are almost unrecognizable in these vintage hand-painted posters of SHOLAY.  

Yet Another SHOLAY Poster

Sholay Director Ramesh Sippy's New Film: Shimla Mirchi

Nearly two decades after his last directorial venture, the Shah Rukh Khan starrer, Zamana Deewana (1995), Sholay director Ramesh Sippy is back. At the time of writing he is filming Shimla Mirchi, starring Basanti alias Hema Malini, the mercurial actor Rajkummar Rao and the refreshing Rakul Preet Singh. No spoilers here, the film is rumoured to be a romantic comedy. We await the release date. 

Sholay Songs: Koi haseena jab rooth jati hai...

A tried and tested template: Hero charms annoyed heroine. Both ride, walk or dance either into silhouette or a sunset as the song fades out...

Yes, it is a moment that can only occur in a Hindi film. The unmelodious, no-relation-to-music cast suddenly breaking into melodious song. We have no idea where the accompanying instruments are playing. We have long stopped thinking about it.  Our parents didn't think much about it, nor did our grandparents. The thoughtlessness gene has carried over, untouched, unquestioned. We are a patient, understanding Indian audience, cutting across generations, caste, creed, religion and race.

The making of film tradition 

Why do we still don't mind the 'song spouting from nowhere' thing? Because, popular Hindi cinema is still about people breaking into songs and we absolutely love the songs. No matter how false the movie may be, the songs are of the heart, as our favourite ones go.  

Where would music channels, radio FM chatter, redundant TV soaps and lately, even Indian news channels be without the mush of Hindi film songs. It was thus even remotely admirable that the main characters in the mammoth musical hit Aashiqui 2 (2013) were justifiably singers. That is the level of intelligence we have grown up to expect from most Hindi films. Redundancy is passe, an acceptable tradition.    

Koi haseena jab rooth jati hai...    

The song plays out post another scene that has been repeated in several Hindi films, again as a copy-paste template. The hero fools the naive heroine into believing that he is god's voice. Thus taking advantage of Basanti's religious beliefs, Veeru almost fools her to marrying him. Jai intervenes with a stoic face, leading Basanti to Veeru's ventriloquism exercise. Basanti walks out in a huff, and then the great Hindi film soundtrack takes over. Kishore Kumar is at his playful best and the train whistle touch is almost poetic. Almost. 

That little 'something' 

The Dharmendra - Hema Malini chemistry is sparkling here.The exaggerated tone of wooing, more than once hints at molestation and eve-teasing. Hindi film heroes are known to stalk and trouble heroines no end, that at times the villain seemed a man with ethics and principles.     

We see again in the song audio visual why Sholay is part of Indian film history. Accidentally or otherwise, something invariably has come together in Sholay. There are defining moments all over, things that have repeated in several films before and after 1975, but how Sholay is like a merging point, a high point, blueprint of what the term 'filmy' in the Hindi film context implies.         

The almost poetic train spouting smoke scene

Sholay Fan Club: Dharam, Hema and Amitabh

The main cast takes a break to film a moment on the sets

SHOLAY 3D: Arriving on January 3rd 2014

It is confirmed. Sholay 3D shall get an Indian release on January 3rd 2014. Watch the new trailer here: 

  
An epic movie has gone through an epic 3D treatment. Sholay, almost four hours long, is one of the longest films to be converted to this format. Pen India Pvt Ltd and Maya Studio worked together on the 3D treatment.

Earlier, talks were on with cinema owners for a release date, as Jayantilal Gada of Pen had stated. His reasoning for the January release - As Sholay is an 'old film', Gada needs a 'one-week window' during which time no other major release will be lined up. 

As an ardent fan I am a little worried by a press release that quotes Jayantilal Gada stating that the Sholay 3D version will have a 'new background score'. I like the present RD Burman background score fine enough.  

Considering many of us weren't born or conceived in 1975, we are all set to make it to the cinema screens on January 3rd 2014. 

More on Sholay 3D
Producer-Director Ketan Mehta owned Maya Digital Studios is the team behind Sholay 3D. They had no easy task at hand, considering the movie needed colour correction. Also, elements from each of the over 5000 shots were enhanced visually. A computer-generated shot that fans will notice - The oil barrels exploding in the train robbery sequence shall spark red instead of black. This is to go with the film's title, implying embers.

Sholay 3D Poster ii

Sholay 3D: The 'Basanti' Poster

Sholay in Posters

Sholay 3D Poster i

While the Sholay 3D release date is still a mystery, the poster is finally out! The latest rumours are that the film will release on Amitabh Bachchan's 71st birthday - October 11, 2013. Nothing is confirmed as yet.

Sholay Moments: Who will take Basanti Home?

 

A major dilemma in Sholay's final moments and certainly an awkward one. Who the hell will take Basanti home? Veeru or Jai? They could have left it to the horse too. Basanti was an expert in riding the tanga, so surely, surely, surely she could ride back to Ramgarh on horseback. Was it about chivalry then? What were Veeru and Jai afraid of? That Gabbar's pack would catch up with Basanti and hold her at ransom? 

The decision is finally made by Jai, when a machine gun bullet finally catches up with a Hindi film hero, right on the back. Even as Jai jumps to safety, we must understand that neither Veeru or Basanti have seen the wound. It is a moment of great sacrifice and we can only watch when Jai tosses the fatal coin and thus seals his fate. 

Amrish Puri in Mr. India

Bullets and Heroes (Before Rajnikanth) 

I could go on and on about the bullet that first gets Jai. There are very few Hindi film heroes who have been felled by enemy fire post Sholay, all through the trashy eighties and redundant nineties. If either Amrish Puri, Ranjit, Gulshan Grover or Prem Chopra finally did get to the gun, there was always a sister, mother, evil brother gone good, vamp turned pure woman, or former lover (lesser paid heroine) who would dive in lightning speed to save the hero. Then bloody and dying, they would make their final speeches, if needed bring the hero and heroine's hands together and then pass away in a twist of head on cosy denim hero lap. 

Sholay and Spoofs

Not a long time ago, when MTV and V used to be music channels with a few laughs lined up in between (Quick Gun Murugan, The Liftman, etc) there were some funny spoofs done on Sholay. One tickling series, shows how Jai steals Basanti from Veeru, even as the latter is haplessly bonded by friendship. Hence in the reenactment of the final scenes, Jai tricks Veeru to stay back by the toss of the coin and thus makes away with Basanti. If Sholay were to be remade as an epic story of betrayal, Jai would have made a bigger name as a villain and even Gabbar would have roared in disgust, "Dikkar hai!" So much for alternatives.    

Explaining the Unexplainable: Why I Love Sholay! VOL I

I have to admit, with a heavy heart and a freelance writer's objectivity that many films of the action adventure genre are cinematically...(Sholay fans, brace for impact!) better than Sholay. 

Sergio Leone's spaghetti western trilogy starring Clint Eastwood - A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965) and the grand finale The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966) are clear inspirations for the Salim-Javed screenplay. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) builds a believable, enduring chemistry between its two bank robbing outlaws.   

Sholay wedged between these half-a-dozen films, is an unlikely contender, a dark horse claimant to cinematic glory.

 

The love of Monologue

So why do I love Sholay? That despite the western garb, Sholay is the quintessential Hindi commercial film. Unlike the Leone films, Sippy's characters speak a lot, monologues are a fad. Gabbar Singh has his outraged sessions, Veeru does a drunken over the top, over the water tank slurring, Soorma Bhopali has a hapless exaggerated story to tell, Basanti elaborates breezily on her career choice and finally, Imam Sahab has the most poignant of all the monologues to deliver. 

Usually a film has a single engaging cameo, Sholay has a whole motley hoard of them, all in varied shades, much like the holi song lyrics - Holi ke din dil khil jaate hai, rangon mein rang mil jaate hai..(On the day of holi, hearts bloom, colours merge in to colours...) 

The late Indian writer RK Narayan may scowl from up there when I say that just like Malgudi, Ramgarh is a place where time stands still. That even in this age of cell phones, social networking narcissism and motor vehicles (Neigh?!Say the horses), the characters in Sholay are destined to play their parts over and over again. 

So here's to Gabbar lifting two menacing swords in sheer savagery, flirtatious Veeru shooting down mangoes and a wounded Jai flinging that stick of dynamite...one more time!    

Sholay: The First Scene

The first scene of Sholay is again reminiscent of Sergio Leone's western trilogy, especially the use of the railroad in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966). Yet it would be unfair to say that it is an inspired scene. 

It is a short scene, not meant to be lingering, so we do not wonder who is waiting for whom - our queries are answered in a matter of seconds, at least a part of it. A policeman alights from the train and in an otherwise deserted station, he easily chances upon a man clearly waiting for him. 

The camera gives us a distant gaze, neither character is in clear view. There is the sound of the steam engine locomotive coming to a slowing halt, spewing black smoke and we hear the stationary breathlessness of the engine even as the policeman turns around, sees no one around and asks the waiting man, "Ah, Thakur Saab?" (Ah, Thakur Sir?) to which the waiting man replies politely, leading the way,"Aaeye Jailer Saab, aaeye." (This way, Jailer Sir, this way.). Midway, the Jailer gives his assent with an authoritative, "Hmm." A higher authority assenting to a servant's request, there's the class system for you.

Both men are seen walking outside the old derelict station and mounting two horses. We hear the train leave the station even as the men ride the horses with seasoned comfort. 

The RD Burman guitar theme matches the opening credits that says - SIPPY FILMS PRESENT. We fade out to the next scene where against the backdrop of a rocky terrain and two riders passing by the film title - SHOLAY shows up - first in English, and then simultaneously in Hindi and Urdu.   

Die-hard Sholay fan stumbles upon 'ORIGINAL SHOLAY'!!

He has seen it. He has got it on DVD. He is the 'chosen one'.

How many of us have heard of the original version of Sholay where Thakur kills Gabbar?

Everybody.

How many of us have seen it?

Nobody...until my friend Veersen Savant alias Spiral Smoke, presently working in Dubai as a sub-editor bought a DVD of this original version. A native of Kolhapur, this die-hard Sholay fan was astounded to say the least.

Here is his reaction: 
"First I was shocked...I never thought I would find the original of this gem of a film in a heap of "on discount" CD's in a mall...I had no idea it was the uncut version...and while watching the film...I realised there is something new...I thought I may have not noticed these scenes earlier...my mind was playing games...but when the climax arrived...but the police didn't...then it dawned on me it was the original uncut version..."

My friend Veeru also informs us of other extended scenes, including the one of Gabbar killing Ahmed. I can't wait to see this version, how can you take it so calmly, dear readers....anybody in Dubai who can pilfer it from Veeru?...before he wraps it in a chain and keeps the DVD in an unbreakable safe, and guards it day and night...I can make an offer you can't refuse...anybody...please...

Sholay Producer G P Sippy Passes Away

Ramesh Sippy and actor Dilip Kumar with GP Sippy in 2003, celebrating his 90th birthday

Gopaldas Parmanand Sippy, producer of Sholay and the father of Ramesh Sippy died on 25 December 2007. He was 93 years old. Before his son made history with Sholay, Ramesh had also directed Andaz (1971) and Seeta Aur Geeta (1972) under the Sippy banner.

GP Sippy's last film as producer was the unsuccessful Kajol-Saif Ali Khan starrer Hamesha (1997). Of course, Mr Sippy will always be remembered for taking a huge financial risk with Sholay. We are glad he took the risk...