A film which has attained the status of a cultural symbol and pride; a film which defines the golden era of Hindi cinema; a film which is an emotion for the cinelovers – Sholay, in all its glory, is on its way to complete its golden jubilee on August 15 this year.
Ahead of its 50th year of release, several inside stories, which have also become a repertoire in itself, resurfcaed on social media. The casting of the Ramesh Sippy film is an all-time talking point among the cinelovers. Interestingly, the actors who played the iconic roles of Jai (Amitabh Bachchan), Veeru (Dharmendra), Thakur (Sanjeev Kumar), Gabbar (Amjad Khan) were not the first choices for the respective roles.Â
The Curious Case Of GabbarÂ
Every other actor seemed to eye the character of the dacoit Gabbar, while Amjad Khan was not in the picture initially, according to reports. If reports are to be believed, Amitabh Bachchan wanted to play the role of Gabbar. Even Sanjeev Kumar, whose iconic Thakur was at loggerheads with Gabbar in the film, wanted to play the fascinating character. While the makers found their Jai and Thakur in Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjeev Kumar respectively, the offer for Gabbar went to another actor, and not to Amjad Khan.Â
Danny Denzongpa, known for his menacing roles back in the day, was offered the role of Gabbar. Â He was already committed to Dharmatma, which was being shot in Afghanistan. So, he didn’t take up Sholay. His unavailability made the path for Amjad Khan who cemented his place in eternity through one powerful character.
Even when Amjad Khan stepped into the role, the screenwriter duo Salim-Javed were not convinced enough. Salim-Javed, reportedly, had doubts about whether Amjad’s voice was commanding enough for the fearsome dacoit. But Amjad Khan put the suspicion to rest with his stellar performance.Â
Dilip Kumar Rejected The Role Of ThakurÂ
The character of Thakur Baldev Singh was first offered to legendary actor Dilip Kumar. However, he turned it down. He felt the character didn’t have emotional depth much, as per reports. Years later, he admitted that he missed a golden opportunity by rejecting the offer.Â
Dharmendra Was Offered Gabbar And Thakur
Dharmendra once told IANS that he was originally offered the role of Thakur and even the menacing Gabbar Singh. He, however, knew exactly what he wanted, and it was Veeru.Â
How Big B Became Jai – Veeru Showed The WayÂ
During a conversation with ANI, Dharmendra shared how he recommended Amitabh Bachchan’s name for the role of Jai.
The veteran actor said, “It has already been mentioned. Yes, I recommended him. Mai to kehta nahi maine unko (Amitabh Bachchan) role dilaya. Ye mujhe milne aate the Amitabh sahab (He used to come to meet me. Mr. Amitabh). He used to sit next to me. To maine Ramesh Sippy ji ko kaha yeh naya ladka hai usko awaaz se to lagta hai bahut acha kaam karega. Unki jo andar se chahna thi. Jo khud se pyar karne ki khoobsurati thi vo achi lagi..maine kaha inko lelo (So I told Ramesh Sippy that this is a new boy. Judging by his voice, he will do a great job. I liked the desire he had from within. The beauty of loving oneself. I said take him).”
Dharmendra added that he enjoyed working in Sholay. “Yeh film mere khyayal se sadiyun ke liye ban gayi hai (this film will be there for centuries).”
As per reports, Shatrughan Sinha was offered the role of Jai before Amitabh Bachchan.
Sholay At 50
The restored version will have its North American premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 6. The gala screening will take place at the 1,800-seater Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto.Â
The uncut version of newly-restored Sholay and featuring the original ending – which shows Gabbar Singh being killed by Thakur instead of arrested by police, and previously deleted scenes that were not part of the widely distributed theatrical cut – had its world premiere on June 27 on the large open-air screen at Piazza Maggiore in Italy’s Bologna to commemorate the film’s 50th anniversary.
