Tonight I am startng to look at the movie Sholay. I saw it over 30 years ago and never did see it again.
I know it is one of the greatest movies put out during that era of Indian Cinema.
NB: Sorry Amral, had to use this:
Tonight I am startng to look at the movie Sholay. I saw it over 30 years ago and never did see it again.
I know it is one of the greatest movies put out during that era of Indian Cinema.
NB: Sorry Amral, had to use this:
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When first released, the film was declared a commercial disaster. Word of mouth convinced movie-goers to give the film a chance and soon it became a box-office phenomenon. It ran for 286 weeks straight (more than five years) in one Mumbai theatre, the Minerva. Sholay racked up a still record 60 golden jubilees across India, and doubled its original gross over reruns during the late 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.[1] Sholay was the first film in the history of Indian cinema to celebrate silver jubilee (25 weeks) at over a hundred theatres across India.[1]
In 1999, BBC India declared it the "Film of the Millennium"; Indiatimes movies ranks the movie amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.[2] In that same year, the judges of the 50th annual Filmfare awards awarded it with a special award called Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years.
In 1999, BBC India declared it the "Film of the Millennium"; Indiatimes movies ranks the movie amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.[2] In that same year, the judges of the 50th annual Filmfare awards awarded it with a special award called Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years.
Interesting to note this fact:
Aftermath
Gabbar is kicked around by the Thakur but is saved in the nick of time by the police, who tell the Thakur that Gabbar must be arrested and dealt with by the law. As Gabbar is taken away, the Thakur is denied vengeance, but knows that Ramgarh is free once again.
Jai's funeral takes place as Veeru stands all alone in front of the pyre. In the distance, Radha watches on through a window.
With nothing more for him in Ramgarh, Veeru leaves on a train. But as he looks up, he sees that he is not alone. Basanti has also boarded the train and both she and Veeru leave Ramgarh together.
Alternate Versions
The film has two known endings. The original ending (shown in the Eros-released DVD) has Thakur Baldev Singh killing Gabbar Singh, trampling him with spike-soled shoes. The C.B.F.C. (Central Board of Film Certification) however, found the ending unacceptable as they thought that any police officers, should not be shown to commit murder. For this reason, a new ending was filmed, in which the police only arrest Gabbar Singh. The original ending can be seen on some television broadcasts and on some versions of the DVD.
Aftermath
Gabbar is kicked around by the Thakur but is saved in the nick of time by the police, who tell the Thakur that Gabbar must be arrested and dealt with by the law. As Gabbar is taken away, the Thakur is denied vengeance, but knows that Ramgarh is free once again.
Jai's funeral takes place as Veeru stands all alone in front of the pyre. In the distance, Radha watches on through a window.
With nothing more for him in Ramgarh, Veeru leaves on a train. But as he looks up, he sees that he is not alone. Basanti has also boarded the train and both she and Veeru leave Ramgarh together.
Alternate Versions
The film has two known endings. The original ending (shown in the Eros-released DVD) has Thakur Baldev Singh killing Gabbar Singh, trampling him with spike-soled shoes. The C.B.F.C. (Central Board of Film Certification) however, found the ending unacceptable as they thought that any police officers, should not be shown to commit murder. For this reason, a new ending was filmed, in which the police only arrest Gabbar Singh. The original ending can be seen on some television broadcasts and on some versions of the DVD.
Former Member
it is indeed a great movie, i loved Hema in it, her prattling was so hilarious, loved Dharam when he was drunk n asking for Hema to get married to him, Amit and Dharam in the first song (that song stuck in my head for the longest while), Helen and that dance, oh man was she ever goooooood and Gabbar, was so afraid of him, he was badddddddddddddd, Jaya was very quiet but played a memorable role n Sanjeev..a masterful actor in a great role.. 
Sholay is one of the most successful commercial films in history of Bollywood. It broke all records of popularity when it was released in 1975. The story was about a police officer who lost his family because of a Don and the revenge he took.The film was a multi starer with Amithabh Bachchan Dharmendra , Sanjiv Kumar , Amzad Khan, and Jaya Bachchan in the lead role. The film has a very gripping story and some very popular dialogs. Most of the characters of film are still remembered by every one... after well.... over 30 years since it was released. This film is considered a cult film for every aspirant film maker and every one tries to match the success of this phenomenal film. Every thing about this film was remarkable, from story line to the music, to direction and performance... this is undisputedly one of the most popular film that bollywood has ever produced.
source: Reviewstream
source: Reviewstream
Former Member
g'morningquote:Originally posted by Mitwah:
Yeh Dosti
Great song about friendship....Amitabh Bachan and Dharmendra...
this song takes me back a long time to school days, it is so lovely n now it's going to stick in my head agaaaaaaaaaaain, 
tnks for posting.
Former Member
Own 3 Indian LP's... Sholay, Waqt & Tsri Manzil...
Have Sholay DVD...
Have Sholay DVD...
Former Member
Love the movie Sholay, Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) steals the show with his acting ability.
Lets see if we can take this reviews to about fifty pages.
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Lets see if we can take this reviews to about fifty pages.
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Former Member
Too great a movie to be left untouched.
So lets give it the GNI Treatment: Sit back and relax and enjoy the professional at work
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So lets give it the GNI Treatment: Sit back and relax and enjoy the professional at work
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
Staring: Dharmendra, Amithabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri, Sanjeev Kumar and Amjad Khan
Director: Ramesh Sippy
Producer: G. P. Sippy
Music: R. D. Burman
Running time: 198 minutes (DEI/Eros), 204 (Eros/B4U)
Format: NTSC
Video: 1.85:1 non-anamorphic widescreen (DEI/Eros), 4:3 full screen (Eros/B4U)
Sound: Hindi Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: English
Year: 1975 (cinema), 1999 (DVD)
DVD: Single sided dual layered
DVD Author: Digital Entertainment Inc (DEI/Eros), Dot Media (Eros/B4U)
DVD Release by: Eros International
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Staring: Dharmendra, Amithabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri, Sanjeev Kumar and Amjad Khan
Director: Ramesh Sippy
Producer: G. P. Sippy
Music: R. D. Burman
Running time: 198 minutes (DEI/Eros), 204 (Eros/B4U)
Format: NTSC
Video: 1.85:1 non-anamorphic widescreen (DEI/Eros), 4:3 full screen (Eros/B4U)
Sound: Hindi Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: English
Year: 1975 (cinema), 1999 (DVD)
DVD: Single sided dual layered
DVD Author: Digital Entertainment Inc (DEI/Eros), Dot Media (Eros/B4U)
DVD Release by: Eros International
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
Synopsis:
While many countries may have had hard decisions to make to pick out a single film of the century at the close of the last millennium, Indian cinema goers had an easy pick as there was only one real contender for the film of the 20th century; Sholay. The importance and significant of Sholay cannot be understated as it's the one movie that has symbolised the India cinema for the last 30 + years. It's the most watched Indian film ever and the one most have seen and remember.
Sholay has a compelling story that is unforgettable and timeless. Akin to the Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) the plot revolves around a tormented and impoverished village that is the persistent victim of an invading gang of bandits that leach and dictate the villagers. Enter Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) once a brave Police Officer and now retired to the village that is under regular attacks from the bandits. He hires two small time convicts Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jaidev (Amitabh Bachchan) not to protect the village but to capture the leader of the bandits, Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan). The deal being that Thakur wants Gabbar Singh alive at any cost. So the story unfolds in an intriguing series of chapters that sees Veeru and Jaidev take up Thakurs offer and come to the village to capture the mighty figure of Gabbar Singh - if only things were that simple! What follows in the three-hour epic is a gripping, dramatic, thrilling and ultimately tragic narrative of the two protagonists in a fight to capture Gabbar Singh and the revelations on why Thakur wants the bad guy so severely. The execution of the film is in brilliant style and manner that has not been replicated by any other film to date in India.
Directed by Ramesh Sippy, Sholay is one of the most celebrated and highly praised of all Indian films - its is a film that would end up in the 'best all time top tens' of most Indian film critics. Sholay has had the record of being the longest running film in Indian cinematic history, which ran for 265 weeks at the cinema only recently been surpassed by the popular romantic film Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995 - Shahrukh Khan and Kajol). Two of the factors that make Sholay such a memorable and loved film are the characters and powerful dialogues written by know legendary Indian writers Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan - a combo so famous for their joint work that they are solely credited as Javed-Salim. The characterisation of the cast in Sholay have become icons in Indian cinema - every character from Veeru and Jaidev to the heroines Basanti and Radha to the notorious villain Gabbar Singh are remembered and references in numerous films. Amjad Khan, who portrayed Gabbar Singh, is his first major role in a movie became the model villain in several films for the next decade that were to made after Sholay albeit never achieving the same success and recognition as in Sholay. Amjad Khan was also given most of the legendary lines in the film too that he delivered with extreme style and fineness that took portrayals of villains to new heights. The films heroes and heroines also became legends - and in the processes tied the knot to each other! Amitabh Bachchan gave a staggering performance that many new generation actors aspired to - Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan have said on numerous occasions that it was the performance of Amitabh in Sholay that inspired them to go into movies. Dharmendra being one the lead characters in Sholay carried the film with commendable style. The words classic and legends are created for a movie like Sholay - simply not to be missed.
Technically the film is nothing short of exceptional and in a class of its own. The film is brilliantly choreographed capturing some of the most exhilarating action sequences in Indian cinema. Lengthy camera pan shots over rocky mountain heights and stark landscapes are brilliantly done - something director Brian De Palma would be very proud of. Sholay was one of the first Indian films that made use of several cinematic innovations at the time such as 70mm format and multi track stereophonic sound. Originally Sholay was filmed at a 4:3 aspect ratio but was released for the cinema in a matted 2.35:1 aspect ratio on 70mm film format. Also the film was shot with two different endings. Due to certain pressures from Indian film censors and media the director's cut of the film remained behind closed doors for many years until it re-surfaced as an extended version. This version was re-cut by Ramesh Sippy and showed the original intended ending - which would act as a major spoiler for those not seen Sholay before, if I revealed it here! So hence two versions of Sholay exist; the original theatrical version, which runs for 188 minutes and the extended director's cut which is 204 minutes long. And both are available on DVD.
The first release of Sholay on DVD was an effort by DEI/Eros, which used the wide screen 70mm version of the film. It was later released under the Eros/B4U tag, which was the director's version of the film but also presented it as originally shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio.
I love doing this:
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Synopsis:
While many countries may have had hard decisions to make to pick out a single film of the century at the close of the last millennium, Indian cinema goers had an easy pick as there was only one real contender for the film of the 20th century; Sholay. The importance and significant of Sholay cannot be understated as it's the one movie that has symbolised the India cinema for the last 30 + years. It's the most watched Indian film ever and the one most have seen and remember.
Sholay has a compelling story that is unforgettable and timeless. Akin to the Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) the plot revolves around a tormented and impoverished village that is the persistent victim of an invading gang of bandits that leach and dictate the villagers. Enter Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) once a brave Police Officer and now retired to the village that is under regular attacks from the bandits. He hires two small time convicts Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jaidev (Amitabh Bachchan) not to protect the village but to capture the leader of the bandits, Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan). The deal being that Thakur wants Gabbar Singh alive at any cost. So the story unfolds in an intriguing series of chapters that sees Veeru and Jaidev take up Thakurs offer and come to the village to capture the mighty figure of Gabbar Singh - if only things were that simple! What follows in the three-hour epic is a gripping, dramatic, thrilling and ultimately tragic narrative of the two protagonists in a fight to capture Gabbar Singh and the revelations on why Thakur wants the bad guy so severely. The execution of the film is in brilliant style and manner that has not been replicated by any other film to date in India.
Directed by Ramesh Sippy, Sholay is one of the most celebrated and highly praised of all Indian films - its is a film that would end up in the 'best all time top tens' of most Indian film critics. Sholay has had the record of being the longest running film in Indian cinematic history, which ran for 265 weeks at the cinema only recently been surpassed by the popular romantic film Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995 - Shahrukh Khan and Kajol). Two of the factors that make Sholay such a memorable and loved film are the characters and powerful dialogues written by know legendary Indian writers Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan - a combo so famous for their joint work that they are solely credited as Javed-Salim. The characterisation of the cast in Sholay have become icons in Indian cinema - every character from Veeru and Jaidev to the heroines Basanti and Radha to the notorious villain Gabbar Singh are remembered and references in numerous films. Amjad Khan, who portrayed Gabbar Singh, is his first major role in a movie became the model villain in several films for the next decade that were to made after Sholay albeit never achieving the same success and recognition as in Sholay. Amjad Khan was also given most of the legendary lines in the film too that he delivered with extreme style and fineness that took portrayals of villains to new heights. The films heroes and heroines also became legends - and in the processes tied the knot to each other! Amitabh Bachchan gave a staggering performance that many new generation actors aspired to - Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan have said on numerous occasions that it was the performance of Amitabh in Sholay that inspired them to go into movies. Dharmendra being one the lead characters in Sholay carried the film with commendable style. The words classic and legends are created for a movie like Sholay - simply not to be missed.
Technically the film is nothing short of exceptional and in a class of its own. The film is brilliantly choreographed capturing some of the most exhilarating action sequences in Indian cinema. Lengthy camera pan shots over rocky mountain heights and stark landscapes are brilliantly done - something director Brian De Palma would be very proud of. Sholay was one of the first Indian films that made use of several cinematic innovations at the time such as 70mm format and multi track stereophonic sound. Originally Sholay was filmed at a 4:3 aspect ratio but was released for the cinema in a matted 2.35:1 aspect ratio on 70mm film format. Also the film was shot with two different endings. Due to certain pressures from Indian film censors and media the director's cut of the film remained behind closed doors for many years until it re-surfaced as an extended version. This version was re-cut by Ramesh Sippy and showed the original intended ending - which would act as a major spoiler for those not seen Sholay before, if I revealed it here! So hence two versions of Sholay exist; the original theatrical version, which runs for 188 minutes and the extended director's cut which is 204 minutes long. And both are available on DVD.
The first release of Sholay on DVD was an effort by DEI/Eros, which used the wide screen 70mm version of the film. It was later released under the Eros/B4U tag, which was the director's version of the film but also presented it as originally shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio.
I love doing this:
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Former Member
Video DEI/Eros
Of the two available DVDs the video on this version is better in terms of picture clarity and sharpness but its not all high-quality stuff. Presented at a zoomed 1.85:1 aspect ratio from the original 2.35:1 matted version of Sholay you can tell from the screen shots below exactly how much of the picture is missing compared to the full frame version of Sholay.
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Of the two available DVDs the video on this version is better in terms of picture clarity and sharpness but its not all high-quality stuff. Presented at a zoomed 1.85:1 aspect ratio from the original 2.35:1 matted version of Sholay you can tell from the screen shots below exactly how much of the picture is missing compared to the full frame version of Sholay.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
Next we look at some scenes from Sholay:
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Next we look at some scenes from Sholay:
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quote:Originally posted by asj:
I love doing this:
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oh, we can tell
And we so enjoy you doing this
Former Member
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Former Member
quote:Originally posted by Riya:quote:Originally posted by asj:
I love doing this:
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oh, we can tell
Thanks for the confidence Ri,
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Former Member
my favouriteeeeeeeeeeeeequote:Originally posted by asj:
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tnks ASJ for doing all this, i am so going to enjoy this......
Former Member
Holi Ki Din: bringing back memories eh!
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Former Member
quote:Originally posted by IK:my favouriteeeeeeeeeeeeequote:Originally posted by asj:
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I think the song was "Hey Dosti" IK, It is slowly bringing back the memories.
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Former Member
NEXT WE WILL LOOK AT THE INDEPTH STORY ON THE MAKING OF "SHOLAY" ONE OF THE GREATEST ACTION FILM TO COME OUT OF BOLLYWOOD IN 1975: SOME 33 YEARS LATER, FILMI BUFFS CAN REALLY SIT BACK AND ENJOY THIS MOVIE:
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Former Member
quote:Originally posted by asj:
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Check out Big B tight pants! It looks painful too!
Former Member
quote:Originally posted by asj:quote:Originally posted by IK:my favouriteeeeeeeeeeeeequote:Originally posted by asj:
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I think the song was "Hey Dosti" IK, It is slowly bringing back the memories.
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It is. I always enjoy watching these 2 in this song. Very comical sometimes.
Former Member
Before getting to the indepth, lets see if we can bring you some more clips on Sholay 1975:
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this was one big song back in those days, the 2 of them was excellent n how i had loved them....quote:Originally posted by asj:quote:Originally posted by IK:my favouriteeeeeeeeeeeeequote:Originally posted by asj:
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I think the song was "Hey Dosti" IK, It is slowly bringing back the memories.
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Former Member
i had felt so sorry for him without his arms.quote:Originally posted by asj:
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Former Member
this was so funnyyyy..quote:Originally posted by asj:
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Former Member
did she ever prattle......but she's lovelyquote:Originally posted by asj:
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Former Member
this was the looks that made him a hearthrob then.....quote:Originally posted by asj:
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you know i look at him now and it is hard for me to think he was this before 
Former Member
ASJ, wonderful job, remember the two headed coin that Amit had????????
i don't need to watch the movie, i am seeing it here.....just kidding but tnks for doing this, g'night.
i don't need to watch the movie, i am seeing it here.....just kidding but tnks for doing this, g'night.
Can you guys believe this?......I have never seen Sholay!!!
but....hubby and I went to the 427 flea market last w/e and he bought 20 movies.....yes, that's right.....20 bollywood movies!!
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.......and sholay is one of them!!....so finally i am going to see what all the hype is about (young Amitabh was not one of my fav actors).....I prefer his acting now in his old age.
but....hubby and I went to the 427 flea market last w/e and he bought 20 movies.....yes, that's right.....20 bollywood movies!!
...........and sholay is one of them!!....so finally i am going to see what all the hype is about (young Amitabh was not one of my fav actors).....I prefer his acting now in his old age.
Former Member
quote:Originally posted by IK:
ASJ, wonderful job, remember the two headed coin that Amit had????????
i don't need to watch the movie, i am seeing it here.....just kidding but tnks for doing this, g'night.
My Pleasure, IK I love doing this.
now we might go over two pages with this. .
Former Member
quote:so finally i am going to see what all the hype is about
VB Give us a feed back after you look at Sholay.
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Former Member
quote:Originally posted by asj:
Sholay 1975
Staring: Dharmendra, Amithabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri, Sanjeev Kumar and Amjad Khan
Director: Ramesh Sippy
Producer: G. P. Sippy
Music: R. D. Burman
Running time: 198 minutes (DEI/Eros), 204 (Eros/B4U)
Format: NTSC
Video: 1.85:1 non-anamorphic widescreen (DEI/Eros), 4:3 full screen (Eros/B4U)
Sound: Hindi Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: English
Year: 1975 (cinema), 1999 (DVD)
DVD: Single sided dual layered
DVD Author: Digital Entertainment Inc (DEI/Eros), Dot Media (Eros/B4U)
DVD Release by: Eros International
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Former Member
Sholay (1975, Producer: G.P Sippy, Director: Ramesh Sippy)
*Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri and Amjad Khan.
Supporting Cast: Satyen Kappu, A.K Hangal, Iftekhar, Leela Misra, Macmohan, Sachin, Asrani, Keshto Mukharjee, Helen, Gita, Jairaj, Jagdeep, Jalal Agha, Om Shivpuri, Sharad Kumar.
Screenplay: Salim-Javed.
Camera: Dwarcha Divecha.
Music: R.D Burman.
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi.
Playback: Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey and R.D Burman.
Art Direction: Ram Yedekar.
Editing: M.S. Shinde.
Sound: S.Y. Pathak.
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*Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri and Amjad Khan.
Supporting Cast: Satyen Kappu, A.K Hangal, Iftekhar, Leela Misra, Macmohan, Sachin, Asrani, Keshto Mukharjee, Helen, Gita, Jairaj, Jagdeep, Jalal Agha, Om Shivpuri, Sharad Kumar.
Screenplay: Salim-Javed.
Camera: Dwarcha Divecha.
Music: R.D Burman.
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi.
Playback: Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey and R.D Burman.
Art Direction: Ram Yedekar.
Editing: M.S. Shinde.
Sound: S.Y. Pathak.
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Former Member
'Sholay' : mention the name and you will be greeted with a volley of well-rehearsed dialogues...'Arre O Samba...Kitne Aadmi The?...Sarkar Maine Aapka Namak Khaya Hai... Ab goli Kha...Hum Angrezon Ke Zamane Ke jailor Hain...Soorma Bhopali A1...Yeh Haath Mujhe Dede Thakur...Chal Basanti, aaj Teri Basanti Ki Izzat Ka Sawal Hai...
' The list is endless. Every dialogue is a moviegoer's delight. Today it is impossible to see the film in a theatre, what with the crowd delighting in repeating the dialogues along with the characters. Therein lies its strength. Sholay is the greatest, if not the highest money-spinning movie of all times in India. (For the simple reason that the tickets in 1975 cost a mere Rupees Four! But at today's rates, the six year run (not to add the repeat runs) of the movie would ensure returns that would be unfathomable. Producer: G.P. Sippy | Director: Ramesh Sippy | Screenplay: Salim Javed | Camera: Dwarka The very mention of the film, 'Sholay' produces an automatic response of fear and trepidation. One tends to conjure up intimidating images of dhamakedar dacoits and dashing damsels,who incidentally are in a fair ammount of distress. The film is fraught with high voltage drama and tension enough to make a grown man weak-kneed.
Courtesy: Raj
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' The list is endless. Every dialogue is a moviegoer's delight. Today it is impossible to see the film in a theatre, what with the crowd delighting in repeating the dialogues along with the characters. Therein lies its strength. Sholay is the greatest, if not the highest money-spinning movie of all times in India. (For the simple reason that the tickets in 1975 cost a mere Rupees Four! But at today's rates, the six year run (not to add the repeat runs) of the movie would ensure returns that would be unfathomable. Producer: G.P. Sippy | Director: Ramesh Sippy | Screenplay: Salim Javed | Camera: Dwarka The very mention of the film, 'Sholay' produces an automatic response of fear and trepidation. One tends to conjure up intimidating images of dhamakedar dacoits and dashing damsels,who incidentally are in a fair ammount of distress. The film is fraught with high voltage drama and tension enough to make a grown man weak-kneed.
Courtesy: Raj
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
As a movie, it is difficult to categorize into any single genre. It could well be clubbed as action or drama, musical or romance. It was also seen by some as the curry-western, a milieu of Indian spice and western machoism. In fact many a parallel has been drawn between 'Sholay' and John Ford's 'Stagecoach' (1939). Whatever it classifies as does not interest us because this Ramesh Sippy - Javed Akhtar brainchild blew the collective minds of an entire generation of Indian moviegoers. And is still doing so.
As a movie, it is difficult to categorize into any single genre. It could well be clubbed as action or drama, musical or romance. It was also seen by some as the curry-western, a milieu of Indian spice and western machoism. In fact many a parallel has been drawn between 'Sholay' and John Ford's 'Stagecoach' (1939). Whatever it classifies as does not interest us because this Ramesh Sippy - Javed Akhtar brainchild blew the collective minds of an entire generation of Indian moviegoers. And is still doing so.
Former Member
Sholay 1975
The tale is one of Thakur Baldev Singh, played by the late Sanjeev Kumar, once a senior police officer. In an attempt to fight the evil dacoit Gabbar Singh (the dynamic debut of Amjad Khan), he joins hands with two local smalltime crooks, who despite their criminal records have hearts of gold. The Thakur is quick to recognize the underlying humanity beneath their fearless, tough-as-nails exterior.
These two outlaws, Jaidev and Veeru (played to perfection by Amitabh and Dharmendra respectively) procede to Ramgarh, the Thakur's estate. In an exceptionally poignant moment of the film, the two while trying to break into the Thakur's safe at night and escape with the loot are seen by Radha, the Thakur's widowed daughter-in-law, who offers them the keys on the grounds that at least it would open her father's eyes to the fact that they are crooks, and not the brave fighters he perceived them as.
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The tale is one of Thakur Baldev Singh, played by the late Sanjeev Kumar, once a senior police officer. In an attempt to fight the evil dacoit Gabbar Singh (the dynamic debut of Amjad Khan), he joins hands with two local smalltime crooks, who despite their criminal records have hearts of gold. The Thakur is quick to recognize the underlying humanity beneath their fearless, tough-as-nails exterior.
These two outlaws, Jaidev and Veeru (played to perfection by Amitabh and Dharmendra respectively) procede to Ramgarh, the Thakur's estate. In an exceptionally poignant moment of the film, the two while trying to break into the Thakur's safe at night and escape with the loot are seen by Radha, the Thakur's widowed daughter-in-law, who offers them the keys on the grounds that at least it would open her father's eyes to the fact that they are crooks, and not the brave fighters he perceived them as.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
Through the device of the flashback, the viewer is let into the traumatic past at the same time as Jaidev and Veeru are enlightened by the Thakur.
It is here that we are introduced to the character of Gabbar Singh played by the invincible Amjad Khan.
Who, on being caught by the Thakur and unceremoniously being sent to jail, swore revenge. Gabbbar Singh escapes soon after and guns down the Thakur's entire family ruthlessly. This scene of carnage and relentless massacre went down in the annals of history as the goriest bloodbath in Indian cinema at the time. The only one to escape the carnage was the youngest daughter-in-law, Radha, who was away at the temple. Coming home to this devastation, the Thakur in a violent rage, rode unarmed to the ravines where Gabbar Singh reigned. Finding him helpless and ironically vulnerable, Gabbar Singh chose to hack off the Thakur's arms which had once held him prisoner.
NB Was this an american movie, Amjad would have certainly walked away with an Oscar: What an impressive performance.
asj
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Through the device of the flashback, the viewer is let into the traumatic past at the same time as Jaidev and Veeru are enlightened by the Thakur.
It is here that we are introduced to the character of Gabbar Singh played by the invincible Amjad Khan.
Who, on being caught by the Thakur and unceremoniously being sent to jail, swore revenge. Gabbbar Singh escapes soon after and guns down the Thakur's entire family ruthlessly. This scene of carnage and relentless massacre went down in the annals of history as the goriest bloodbath in Indian cinema at the time. The only one to escape the carnage was the youngest daughter-in-law, Radha, who was away at the temple. Coming home to this devastation, the Thakur in a violent rage, rode unarmed to the ravines where Gabbar Singh reigned. Finding him helpless and ironically vulnerable, Gabbar Singh chose to hack off the Thakur's arms which had once held him prisoner.
NB Was this an american movie, Amjad would have certainly walked away with an Oscar: What an impressive performance.
asj
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
Gabbar Singh went on to become yet another iconic figure-head of terror. His opening exclamation "Suar ke bachchon!!! " is a classic example of his irreverance. He was the kind of man who wouldn't lose sleep over feeding golis to his namak consuming chelas. He delivers one hundred percent of the quintessential villian, one who pursues evil as an end in itself. On the more romantic front, Veeru falls in love with the gregarious tangewali Basanti, while the more serious Jaidev feels drawn to the young and lonely Radha, who watches him silently from a distance. When Veeru goes to keep a rendezvous with Basanti, he discovers that she's been kidnapped by Gabbar's men. To add fuel to the fire, Gabbar orders Basanti to dance on splinters of glass if she wishes to see her love-interest alive. This time it is an all out war, and the men fight it out desperately. Fatally wounded, Jaidev pretends he is mildly hurt, and sends Veeru back to the village with Basanti. He manages to heroically blow up a bridge and kill most of the bandits. At this point Thakur arrives on the scene and insists on fighting Gabbar alone.
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Gabbar Singh went on to become yet another iconic figure-head of terror. His opening exclamation "Suar ke bachchon!!! " is a classic example of his irreverance. He was the kind of man who wouldn't lose sleep over feeding golis to his namak consuming chelas. He delivers one hundred percent of the quintessential villian, one who pursues evil as an end in itself. On the more romantic front, Veeru falls in love with the gregarious tangewali Basanti, while the more serious Jaidev feels drawn to the young and lonely Radha, who watches him silently from a distance. When Veeru goes to keep a rendezvous with Basanti, he discovers that she's been kidnapped by Gabbar's men. To add fuel to the fire, Gabbar orders Basanti to dance on splinters of glass if she wishes to see her love-interest alive. This time it is an all out war, and the men fight it out desperately. Fatally wounded, Jaidev pretends he is mildly hurt, and sends Veeru back to the village with Basanti. He manages to heroically blow up a bridge and kill most of the bandits. At this point Thakur arrives on the scene and insists on fighting Gabbar alone.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
What follows is a rather dramatic display of footwork, enough to give Ronaldo a run for his money. Thakur hits out with his hobnailed shoes at a wily Gabbar, who without the protection of his gang becomes a cowering beast. With Jaidev dead, Veeru decides to leave Ramgarh, but in the empty compartment of the sleepy train he finds ... Surprise!!! A coy Basanti waiting for him in heated anticipation. The film is groundbreaking because of it's unabashed display of violence and gore as well as for it's repertoire of catch phrases, which have inspired many a free spirited rebel who wished to talk tough. Several wannabe Gabbar Singhs spouted daku-lingo merrily, much to the displeasure of all mild mannered gentry. Interestingly enough, when the film was released it didn't open very well. This was attributed to the fact that it was way ahead of its time. But its six year uninterrupted run at the box office gave it enough time to catch up with its swashbuckling style. Thus it is safe to say that emerging as a brilliant little spark of superlative filmmaking, 'Sholay' built up enough punch to rewrite movie history. It continued to gather momentum as it went along the rugged terrain of time and transformed into a raging orb of fire, destroying all conventions that came across it's path.
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What follows is a rather dramatic display of footwork, enough to give Ronaldo a run for his money. Thakur hits out with his hobnailed shoes at a wily Gabbar, who without the protection of his gang becomes a cowering beast. With Jaidev dead, Veeru decides to leave Ramgarh, but in the empty compartment of the sleepy train he finds ... Surprise!!! A coy Basanti waiting for him in heated anticipation. The film is groundbreaking because of it's unabashed display of violence and gore as well as for it's repertoire of catch phrases, which have inspired many a free spirited rebel who wished to talk tough. Several wannabe Gabbar Singhs spouted daku-lingo merrily, much to the displeasure of all mild mannered gentry. Interestingly enough, when the film was released it didn't open very well. This was attributed to the fact that it was way ahead of its time. But its six year uninterrupted run at the box office gave it enough time to catch up with its swashbuckling style. Thus it is safe to say that emerging as a brilliant little spark of superlative filmmaking, 'Sholay' built up enough punch to rewrite movie history. It continued to gather momentum as it went along the rugged terrain of time and transformed into a raging orb of fire, destroying all conventions that came across it's path.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
The film has made use of several interesting innovations. This included, spectacular cinematography, with shots panning over rocky heights and barren landscapes, often under the menacing shadow of a threatening cloud. It was also the first film to be shot in the large-screen, 70mm format with stereophonic sound. This gave the film most of it's pulsating tension. Although in present times of desensitization, one would not even bat an eyelid at the most gruesome of murders, for its time, 'Sholay' was a revolutionary film, which inspired many film makers to continue its trend of imaginative cinema. To date 'Sholay' remains a cult film by any standard. Many clones followed, but the original will always stay fresh in the minds of all movie lovers. It's doubtful whether any will ever surpass the sheer canvas and magnitude of 'Sholay'. Maybe in terms of money spent or money earned. But in completeness? In script? In cohesion of a story well told or a project well received? Doubtful.
.
The film has made use of several interesting innovations. This included, spectacular cinematography, with shots panning over rocky heights and barren landscapes, often under the menacing shadow of a threatening cloud. It was also the first film to be shot in the large-screen, 70mm format with stereophonic sound. This gave the film most of it's pulsating tension. Although in present times of desensitization, one would not even bat an eyelid at the most gruesome of murders, for its time, 'Sholay' was a revolutionary film, which inspired many film makers to continue its trend of imaginative cinema. To date 'Sholay' remains a cult film by any standard. Many clones followed, but the original will always stay fresh in the minds of all movie lovers. It's doubtful whether any will ever surpass the sheer canvas and magnitude of 'Sholay'. Maybe in terms of money spent or money earned. But in completeness? In script? In cohesion of a story well told or a project well received? Doubtful.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
As Gabbar would say, "Pachas kos door jab bachcha rota hai to maa kehti hai, bete soja, warna Gabbar aa jaayega.." However it goes without saying, that the fame of Gabbar and thereby 'Sholay' goes way beyond the pachas kos margin.No one could of have imagined the spectacular degree of SHOLAY's success. The film changed lives, transformed careers, and even twenty-five years after its release it remains the box office gold standard, a reference point for both the Indian film-going audience and the film industry. Over the years, 'Sholay has transcended its hit-movie status. It is not merely a film, it is the ultimate classic; it is myth. It is a part of our heritage as Indians. The film, still as compellingly watchable as it was when first released (in 1999 BBC-India and assorted internet polls declared it the Film of the Millenium), arouses intense passions. Its appeal cuts across barriers of geography, language, ideology and class: an advertising guru in Mumbai will speak as enthusiastically and eloquently about the film as a rickshaw driver in hyderabad.And the devotion is often fanatical. 'Sholay' connoisseurs - to call them 'fans' would be insulting their ardour - speak casually of seeing the film fifty, sixty even seventy times. Dialogue has been memorized. Also the unique background music: the true 'Sholay' buff can pre-empt all the sound effects. He can also name Gabbar's arms dealer who is on screen for less than thirty seconds (Hira), and Gabbar's father who is mentioned only once as Gabbar's sentence is read out in court ('Gabbar Singh, vald Hari Singh...'
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As Gabbar would say, "Pachas kos door jab bachcha rota hai to maa kehti hai, bete soja, warna Gabbar aa jaayega.." However it goes without saying, that the fame of Gabbar and thereby 'Sholay' goes way beyond the pachas kos margin.No one could of have imagined the spectacular degree of SHOLAY's success. The film changed lives, transformed careers, and even twenty-five years after its release it remains the box office gold standard, a reference point for both the Indian film-going audience and the film industry. Over the years, 'Sholay has transcended its hit-movie status. It is not merely a film, it is the ultimate classic; it is myth. It is a part of our heritage as Indians. The film, still as compellingly watchable as it was when first released (in 1999 BBC-India and assorted internet polls declared it the Film of the Millenium), arouses intense passions. Its appeal cuts across barriers of geography, language, ideology and class: an advertising guru in Mumbai will speak as enthusiastically and eloquently about the film as a rickshaw driver in hyderabad.And the devotion is often fanatical. 'Sholay' connoisseurs - to call them 'fans' would be insulting their ardour - speak casually of seeing the film fifty, sixty even seventy times. Dialogue has been memorized. Also the unique background music: the true 'Sholay' buff can pre-empt all the sound effects. He can also name Gabbar's arms dealer who is on screen for less than thirty seconds (Hira), and Gabbar's father who is mentioned only once as Gabbar's sentence is read out in court ('Gabbar Singh, vald Hari Singh...'
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
Bollywood buzes with 'Sholay' stories: how a Jaipur housewife obsessed vith Veeru convinced her husband to assume the name of her beloved screen hero; how Prakash bhai, a black marketeer at Delhi's Plaza Cinema, sold tickets for the film at Rs 150 for five months and eventually bought himself a small house in Seelampur, which he decorated with 'Sholay' posters; how a tough-looking immigration officer in New York waved actor Macmohan through because he had seen 'Sholay' and reconized Sambha, 'The man on the rock with a gun'. There are autorickshaws in Patna named Dhanno, and potent drinks in five-star bars called Gabbar.
Such was the pull of Sholay:
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Bollywood buzes with 'Sholay' stories: how a Jaipur housewife obsessed vith Veeru convinced her husband to assume the name of her beloved screen hero; how Prakash bhai, a black marketeer at Delhi's Plaza Cinema, sold tickets for the film at Rs 150 for five months and eventually bought himself a small house in Seelampur, which he decorated with 'Sholay' posters; how a tough-looking immigration officer in New York waved actor Macmohan through because he had seen 'Sholay' and reconized Sambha, 'The man on the rock with a gun'. There are autorickshaws in Patna named Dhanno, and potent drinks in five-star bars called Gabbar.
Such was the pull of Sholay:
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
'Sholay's dialogue has now become colloquial language, part of the way a nation speaks to itself. Single lines, even phrases, taken out of context, can communicate a whole range of meaning and emotion. In canteens across the country, collegians still echo Gabbar when they notice a budding romance: 'Bahut yaarana hai.' The lines come easily to the lips of Indians: 'Jo dar gaya, samjho mar gaya', 'Ai chhammia', 'Arre o Sambha', Kitne aadmi the?', 'Hum angrezon ke zamaane ke jailer hain'.
'Kitne aadmi the?' What kind of man you are?
Very popular dialogue:
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'Sholay's dialogue has now become colloquial language, part of the way a nation speaks to itself. Single lines, even phrases, taken out of context, can communicate a whole range of meaning and emotion. In canteens across the country, collegians still echo Gabbar when they notice a budding romance: 'Bahut yaarana hai.' The lines come easily to the lips of Indians: 'Jo dar gaya, samjho mar gaya', 'Ai chhammia', 'Arre o Sambha', Kitne aadmi the?', 'Hum angrezon ke zamaane ke jailer hain'.
'Kitne aadmi the?' What kind of man you are?
Very popular dialogue:
.
Former Member
Sholay 1975
Nothing in Indian popular culture has matched this magic. Critics might argue that 'Mother India' or 'Mughal-e-Azam' were better films, and trade pundits might point out that in 1994 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun' broke 'Sholay's box-office record. But none of these films can rival 'Sholay' in the scale and longevity of its success. 'Sholay' was a watershed event. Director Shekhar Kapur puts it best: 'There has never been a more defining film on the Indian screen. Indian Film history can be divided into 'Sholay' BC and 'Sholay AD.'
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Nothing in Indian popular culture has matched this magic. Critics might argue that 'Mother India' or 'Mughal-e-Azam' were better films, and trade pundits might point out that in 1994 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun' broke 'Sholay's box-office record. But none of these films can rival 'Sholay' in the scale and longevity of its success. 'Sholay' was a watershed event. Director Shekhar Kapur puts it best: 'There has never been a more defining film on the Indian screen. Indian Film history can be divided into 'Sholay' BC and 'Sholay AD.'
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
There is more to Kapur's statement than just the passion of a hopeless admirer. 'Sholay' is, in fact, the Indian Film industry's textbook. The film married a potentially B-grade genre narrative to the big budget of a mainstream extravaganza, and taught the industry how formula can beget a classic.'It is,' says adman and scriptwriter Piyush Pandey, 'undoubtedly the best film made in this country.' 'Sholay' transformed action into high art. Stylized mayhem replaced the sissy 'dishum-dishum fist fights of the past. Violence became a Hindi-movie staple for nineteen years, until 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun' flagged off the feel-good era.'Sholay' also set standards for technical excellence. Other films of the seventies seem shoddy and dated, but 'Sholay' is a masterpiece of craft.To this day,directors quote 'Sholay' in their films,allude to it in their frames
.
There is more to Kapur's statement than just the passion of a hopeless admirer. 'Sholay' is, in fact, the Indian Film industry's textbook. The film married a potentially B-grade genre narrative to the big budget of a mainstream extravaganza, and taught the industry how formula can beget a classic.'It is,' says adman and scriptwriter Piyush Pandey, 'undoubtedly the best film made in this country.' 'Sholay' transformed action into high art. Stylized mayhem replaced the sissy 'dishum-dishum fist fights of the past. Violence became a Hindi-movie staple for nineteen years, until 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun' flagged off the feel-good era.'Sholay' also set standards for technical excellence. Other films of the seventies seem shoddy and dated, but 'Sholay' is a masterpiece of craft.To this day,directors quote 'Sholay' in their films,allude to it in their frames
.
Former Member
Sholay 1975
What is it about 'Sholay' that works on us still? When people watch 'Sholay' today, certain aspects of the film seduce them all over again: the soaring imagination of the story and the way it is told; the vitality of the scorching rocky landscape, charging horses and falling men; the gritty directorial conviction that allows an unhurried tale to be developed, full of texture and rhythm. The elements fall into place perfectly:a marvellous chemistry between the actors; a fable like story detailed into a superb script; unforgettable dialogue and fine performances. The film skillfully blends traditional and modern elements. It has, as author Nasreen Munni Kabir says, 'Differences in lifestyles which co-exist without appearing illogical.' The steam engines, the horses, the guns and the denim give the film an ageless quality, a feeling of several centuries existing next to each other.
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What is it about 'Sholay' that works on us still? When people watch 'Sholay' today, certain aspects of the film seduce them all over again: the soaring imagination of the story and the way it is told; the vitality of the scorching rocky landscape, charging horses and falling men; the gritty directorial conviction that allows an unhurried tale to be developed, full of texture and rhythm. The elements fall into place perfectly:a marvellous chemistry between the actors; a fable like story detailed into a superb script; unforgettable dialogue and fine performances. The film skillfully blends traditional and modern elements. It has, as author Nasreen Munni Kabir says, 'Differences in lifestyles which co-exist without appearing illogical.' The steam engines, the horses, the guns and the denim give the film an ageless quality, a feeling of several centuries existing next to each other.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
Producer G.P Sippy and Ramesh Sippy dreamed big, and they had the courage to follow their instincts. Money, market, box-office - all these commercial considerations became, in the final analysis, secondary. The prime motive was to make a mega movie, the like of which had never been seen before on the Indian screen. Ramanagaram was a vast emptiness, a blank canvas waiting to be fashioned into fantasy. A crew of nearly a hundred people worked round the clock to construct an entire village.
Ramanagaram, an hour's drive from Bangalore, has a varied topography. Building-sized black boulders arch toward the sky. Small knolls seque into grassy flatlands. It is austere but textured. Ramesh loved it. He flew in the next day with his cinematographer, Dwarka Divecha, and two assistants from the production and direction departments. 'It captured my imagination,' he says. 'I was facinated.' Divecha cast his eagle eye on the landscape, and confirmed his decision.
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Producer G.P Sippy and Ramesh Sippy dreamed big, and they had the courage to follow their instincts. Money, market, box-office - all these commercial considerations became, in the final analysis, secondary. The prime motive was to make a mega movie, the like of which had never been seen before on the Indian screen. Ramanagaram was a vast emptiness, a blank canvas waiting to be fashioned into fantasy. A crew of nearly a hundred people worked round the clock to construct an entire village.
Ramanagaram, an hour's drive from Bangalore, has a varied topography. Building-sized black boulders arch toward the sky. Small knolls seque into grassy flatlands. It is austere but textured. Ramesh loved it. He flew in the next day with his cinematographer, Dwarka Divecha, and two assistants from the production and direction departments. 'It captured my imagination,' he says. 'I was facinated.' Divecha cast his eagle eye on the landscape, and confirmed his decision.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
Pleasing Divecha wasn't easy. He was a crotchety old curmudgeon with a painter's eye and a sailer's mouth. He could be extremely difficult, but if you wanted the best for your film, you put up with it. He had experienced the ugliness of life, and he hadn't survived by being soft. Divecha had started his film career in 1936 as an assistant cameraman and gradually worked his way up. Top directors like Kardar, H,S Rawail and L.V Prasad all swore by him. His reputation was fierce. Dressed in a white bosky bush shirt, white pants and black shoes, Divecha saab was a Hitler on the sets.A stickler for punctuality, he would let loose on assistants even if they were late by a minute: 'Aadmi ho yah janwar,' he would scream, 'tumko timing samajh nahin aati kya? If he happened to arrive at the set early, he would wait in the car and walk into the set only at the exact minute the shift was scheduled to start. But the temper wasn't reserved for underlings alone. Even top stars rarely escaped Divecha's wrath. He made the stars stand in place while he lit shots - subsitutes weren't allowed - and shouted if they fidgeted 'Hema, itna kyun hilti hai? (Why do you move so much Hema?).
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Pleasing Divecha wasn't easy. He was a crotchety old curmudgeon with a painter's eye and a sailer's mouth. He could be extremely difficult, but if you wanted the best for your film, you put up with it. He had experienced the ugliness of life, and he hadn't survived by being soft. Divecha had started his film career in 1936 as an assistant cameraman and gradually worked his way up. Top directors like Kardar, H,S Rawail and L.V Prasad all swore by him. His reputation was fierce. Dressed in a white bosky bush shirt, white pants and black shoes, Divecha saab was a Hitler on the sets.A stickler for punctuality, he would let loose on assistants even if they were late by a minute: 'Aadmi ho yah janwar,' he would scream, 'tumko timing samajh nahin aati kya? If he happened to arrive at the set early, he would wait in the car and walk into the set only at the exact minute the shift was scheduled to start. But the temper wasn't reserved for underlings alone. Even top stars rarely escaped Divecha's wrath. He made the stars stand in place while he lit shots - subsitutes weren't allowed - and shouted if they fidgeted 'Hema, itna kyun hilti hai? (Why do you move so much Hema?).
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Former Member
More later
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Former Member
Hi,
As you mentioned earlier, neither of the 2 Eros DVD versions of the movie show it the way it was meant to be seen. One has the extra video above and below which was meant to be removed, and the other is cropped from the sides. Both are very bad DVDs for other reasons as well, not the least of which is the lack of subs for the songs, important for the likes of me that doesn't know a word of Hindi. Here's how it was meant to be seen, in all of it's 2.35:1 glory:
And for widescreen videos of those songs, with translations:
Yeh Dosti:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnI7_aVRjPI&fmt=18
Holi Ke Din:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq7qpDacReo&fmt=18
Mehbooba Mehbooba:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H16bqlJt5Zc&fmt=18
As you mentioned earlier, neither of the 2 Eros DVD versions of the movie show it the way it was meant to be seen. One has the extra video above and below which was meant to be removed, and the other is cropped from the sides. Both are very bad DVDs for other reasons as well, not the least of which is the lack of subs for the songs, important for the likes of me that doesn't know a word of Hindi. Here's how it was meant to be seen, in all of it's 2.35:1 glory:
And for widescreen videos of those songs, with translations:
Yeh Dosti:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnI7_aVRjPI&fmt=18
Holi Ke Din:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq7qpDacReo&fmt=18
Mehbooba Mehbooba:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H16bqlJt5Zc&fmt=18
Former Member
Hey Monono, thanks for a valuable piece of info to corroborate the points listed on the video:
The picture that you posted is really good, I wish they would have brought out a quality video of "Sholay" as such a film deserves the best.
One of the three songs is watchable, the other two appears like the video is not there anymore.
So thanks agaain good buddy.
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The picture that you posted is really good, I wish they would have brought out a quality video of "Sholay" as such a film deserves the best.
One of the three songs is watchable, the other two appears like the video is not there anymore.
So thanks agaain good buddy.
.
Former Member
quote:Originally posted by asj:
Sholay 1975
'Sholay's dialogue has now become colloquial language, part of the way a nation speaks to itself. Single lines, even phrases, taken out of context, can communicate a whole range of meaning and emotion. In canteens across the country, collegians still echo Gabbar when they notice a budding romance: 'Bahut yaarana hai.' The lines come easily to the lips of Indians: 'Jo dar gaya, samjho mar gaya', 'Ai chhammia', 'Arre o Sambha', Kitne aadmi the?', 'Hum angrezon ke zamaane ke jailer hain'.
'Kitne aadmi the?' What kind of man you are?
Very popular dialogue:
.
Originally posted by Venkat:
hi ASJ
"Kitane aadmi the?" means "how many men were there?", which Gabbar asks because his men were beaten up so badly by Jairaj and Veeru, he thought they must have been outnumbered.
Hi Ven, thanks good buddy, good to know, as I thought that the trans was not exact to the hindi/urdu words, but after they were beaten up so badly, Gabbar ask how could two men beat you all up like this, and had you running' hence my "what manner of men you are?"
Thanks good buddy, nice to know the correct trans.
Thanks also goes out to the many people who has
expressed appreciation for jogging their memories.
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Former Member
quote:Originally posted by asj:
One of the three songs is watchable, the other two appears like the video is not there anymore.
I'm not quite sure I understand. It's true that right after I posted YouTube seemed to be having some problems playing videos (not just these), but everything seems to have been sorted out now. Did you mean that one would play but the other 2 seemed to just keep buffering with no video showing up? Because I just clicked on all three links in turn and all play fine.
I gave links to the high quality versions. As you may or may not know, after May 20 YouTube began producing 3 different versions of the videos uploaded to them, one standard (lousy) and 2 better quality versions. To get the ones to which I linked to play in high quality, you have to have upgraded your player to the version 9:
http://www.adobe.com/support/flashplayer/downloads.html
Or, if you don't feel like installing the latest player, here are the 3 videos in the other high quality version, for which no upgrade is needed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnI7_aVRjPI&fmt=6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq7qpDacReo&fmt=6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H16bqlJt5Zc&fmt=6
Please let me know if you have more trouble playing them. I view all my videos in the high quality, but I don't really know how other people see them. In the description for each of my videos, I always have a link to a high quality version (the one for which the upgraded player is needed).
Former Member
To get the ones to which I linked to play in high quality, you have to have upgraded your player to the version 9:
Thanks buddy, it is now playing perfectly, and your video is just like Stage ? videos when they were active: very clear.
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Thanks buddy, it is now playing perfectly, and your video is just like Stage ? videos when they were active: very clear.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
But off the set, Hitler thawed into a colourful, affectionate man. He was a shaukeen aadmi, with a taste for the good things in life. When he wasn't shooting, Divecha would be at home, ensconced in his favourite chair, holding a glass (always whisky) and a cigarette (Chesterfield or Camel) either listening to music (ghazals) or reading a book. When he spoke, he might have been a scholar, except that he swore incessantly. Divecha had no children but kept a large Alsation dog, whom he called his son. Like Ramesh, Divecha was a rigorous perfectionist.
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But off the set, Hitler thawed into a colourful, affectionate man. He was a shaukeen aadmi, with a taste for the good things in life. When he wasn't shooting, Divecha would be at home, ensconced in his favourite chair, holding a glass (always whisky) and a cigarette (Chesterfield or Camel) either listening to music (ghazals) or reading a book. When he spoke, he might have been a scholar, except that he swore incessantly. Divecha had no children but kept a large Alsation dog, whom he called his son. Like Ramesh, Divecha was a rigorous perfectionist.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
'Sholay' grew from paper into plans, and it gained weight and size and ambition.The Sippy's wanted to make 'Sholay' the biggest and the best adventure film ever, and they would make no compromises. The traditional 35mm format, they felt, wouldn't do justice to their vision. They were aiming for epic grandeur. So a decision was made: 'Sholay' would be India's first 70mm film with stereophonic sound. The 70mm film format offered double the size. The major Hollywood action movies at the time, such as 'Mckenna's Gold', were shot in this format because it gave the viewer, quite literally, a big movie experience. But the decision to do 'Sholay' in this format added another layer of compliations. Shooting in 70mm wasn't easy. It required huge camera's which could take 70mm film. Importing the camera's was an expensive proposition. The most practical solution was to shoot on 35mm and then blow it up for 70mm. The format was screen-tested. Divecha suggested putting aground glass in front of the camera lens, on which Kamlakar Rao, a young but technically skilled cameraman, made markings so the margins of the 70mm frame could be identified. Ramesh's brother Ajit, who lived in London, forwarded the test to Paris, where a 70mm print was made. The print came back with further instructions on how to perfect the technique. A 70mm film also required bigger screens, and most theatres in India weren't equipped for it. Then Sippy's decided to have two sets of negatives, one in 70mm and the other one in 35mm. In practical terms, this meant that every shot would have to be done twice. Each decision added to the cost.
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'Sholay' grew from paper into plans, and it gained weight and size and ambition.The Sippy's wanted to make 'Sholay' the biggest and the best adventure film ever, and they would make no compromises. The traditional 35mm format, they felt, wouldn't do justice to their vision. They were aiming for epic grandeur. So a decision was made: 'Sholay' would be India's first 70mm film with stereophonic sound. The 70mm film format offered double the size. The major Hollywood action movies at the time, such as 'Mckenna's Gold', were shot in this format because it gave the viewer, quite literally, a big movie experience. But the decision to do 'Sholay' in this format added another layer of compliations. Shooting in 70mm wasn't easy. It required huge camera's which could take 70mm film. Importing the camera's was an expensive proposition. The most practical solution was to shoot on 35mm and then blow it up for 70mm. The format was screen-tested. Divecha suggested putting aground glass in front of the camera lens, on which Kamlakar Rao, a young but technically skilled cameraman, made markings so the margins of the 70mm frame could be identified. Ramesh's brother Ajit, who lived in London, forwarded the test to Paris, where a 70mm print was made. The print came back with further instructions on how to perfect the technique. A 70mm film also required bigger screens, and most theatres in India weren't equipped for it. Then Sippy's decided to have two sets of negatives, one in 70mm and the other one in 35mm. In practical terms, this meant that every shot would have to be done twice. Each decision added to the cost.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
AMJAD KHAN:
Amjad Khan filled the doorway. He was not a particularly large man, but his lumbering gait, thickset face and curly hair gave him the appearance of one. Director Ramesh Sippy was lying on the diwan with his back to the door. From the low angle, Amjad loomed larger. Something clicked. 'He had an interesting face,' says Ramesh. 'I felt very positive.' Panic had set in after Danny's departure. Shooting was less than a month away. And Gabbar Singh was no ordinary character. It was a pivotal role. The actor had to have both talent and charisma to hold his own against the galaxy of stars. Bad casting could destroy the film. Amjad was the younger son of character artiste Jayant. His home production, Patthar ke Sanam,which was supposed to launch him, was announced but never made. He had assisted K Asif in Love and God and also done a bit role in the film. The credentials were hardly impressive. But in theatre Amjad had a strong reputation. A few days after Danny left, Salim bumped into Amjad. Salim knew Amjad's father, and had been visiting their home since Amjad was a little boy. A polite conversation ensued in which Salim asked Amjad about work. There wasn't much, just bit roles and theatre.
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AMJAD KHAN:
Amjad Khan filled the doorway. He was not a particularly large man, but his lumbering gait, thickset face and curly hair gave him the appearance of one. Director Ramesh Sippy was lying on the diwan with his back to the door. From the low angle, Amjad loomed larger. Something clicked. 'He had an interesting face,' says Ramesh. 'I felt very positive.' Panic had set in after Danny's departure. Shooting was less than a month away. And Gabbar Singh was no ordinary character. It was a pivotal role. The actor had to have both talent and charisma to hold his own against the galaxy of stars. Bad casting could destroy the film. Amjad was the younger son of character artiste Jayant. His home production, Patthar ke Sanam,which was supposed to launch him, was announced but never made. He had assisted K Asif in Love and God and also done a bit role in the film. The credentials were hardly impressive. But in theatre Amjad had a strong reputation. A few days after Danny left, Salim bumped into Amjad. Salim knew Amjad's father, and had been visiting their home since Amjad was a little boy. A polite conversation ensued in which Salim asked Amjad about work. There wasn't much, just bit roles and theatre.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
AMJAD KHAN continues.....
Salim had heard about Amjad's skills as an actor, and physically he seemed to fit the role. 'I can't promise you anything,' he told Amjad, 'but there is a role in a big film. 'll take you to the director. Agar aap ko yeh role mil jaaye, aap ki koshish se yea aapki kismat se (If you get this role, whether by luck or effort),I tell you, it is the finest role in this film.' Amjad seemed to fit the part, but he was unknown. Could he carry the film? He was asked to grow a beard and come back. Meanwhile, Ramesh and Salim-Javed pondered. Salim-Javed were convinced that Amjad was the right choice.
A screen test was done. They shot pictures in the office garden. Amjad had grown a beard and blackened his teeth. His diction was right, his language was perfect. He was confirmed for the role. Amjad hurried ecstatically to hospital to break the news to wife Shaila. The date was 20 September 1973. His son Shadaab was born that afternoon. Amjad prepared for Gabbar. Normal life took a back seat; this was clearly the best role fo his career. Amjad devoured Abhishapth Chambal, a book on the Chambal dacoits written by Jaya Bhaduri's father, Taroon Coomar. He marked out the pages on the real-life Gabbar, insisting that his wife Shaila read it too. He rehearsed his lines and fleshed out his character. He remembered a dhobi from his childhood days who used to call out to his wife: 'Arre o Shanti.' The lilt in Gabbar's 'Arre o Sambha' came from his dhobi.
Amjad was enthusiastic but insecure, and badgered his wife constantly: 'Do you think I'll be able to do it?' 'Of course,' she would say, 'you're a good actor. I've seen all your plays.' 'But this is a different ball game' 'So what? You've been part of 'Love and God'... your father is an actor...' 'All that dosn't matter. Do you think I'll be able to do this?'
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AMJAD KHAN continues.....
Salim had heard about Amjad's skills as an actor, and physically he seemed to fit the role. 'I can't promise you anything,' he told Amjad, 'but there is a role in a big film. 'll take you to the director. Agar aap ko yeh role mil jaaye, aap ki koshish se yea aapki kismat se (If you get this role, whether by luck or effort),I tell you, it is the finest role in this film.' Amjad seemed to fit the part, but he was unknown. Could he carry the film? He was asked to grow a beard and come back. Meanwhile, Ramesh and Salim-Javed pondered. Salim-Javed were convinced that Amjad was the right choice.
A screen test was done. They shot pictures in the office garden. Amjad had grown a beard and blackened his teeth. His diction was right, his language was perfect. He was confirmed for the role. Amjad hurried ecstatically to hospital to break the news to wife Shaila. The date was 20 September 1973. His son Shadaab was born that afternoon. Amjad prepared for Gabbar. Normal life took a back seat; this was clearly the best role fo his career. Amjad devoured Abhishapth Chambal, a book on the Chambal dacoits written by Jaya Bhaduri's father, Taroon Coomar. He marked out the pages on the real-life Gabbar, insisting that his wife Shaila read it too. He rehearsed his lines and fleshed out his character. He remembered a dhobi from his childhood days who used to call out to his wife: 'Arre o Shanti.' The lilt in Gabbar's 'Arre o Sambha' came from his dhobi.
Amjad was enthusiastic but insecure, and badgered his wife constantly: 'Do you think I'll be able to do it?' 'Of course,' she would say, 'you're a good actor. I've seen all your plays.' 'But this is a different ball game' 'So what? You've been part of 'Love and God'... your father is an actor...' 'All that dosn't matter. Do you think I'll be able to do this?'
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
AMJAD KHAN: continues....
The morning Amjad was to leave for Bangalore, he put the Quran on his head and prayed. Shaila was surprised. Amjad was a spiritual person but he rarely prayed. As abruptly as he had started, he stopped. He placed the holy book back in its place, said, 'I think I'll be able to do it,' and drove to the airport. The flight didn't reach Bangalore. There was a hydraulic failure, and the pilot was forced to keep circling over Mumbai. After dumping fuel for hours, the plane landed back in Mumbai. Amjad sat at the airport but didn't call home. After five hours, it was announced that the technical faults had been fixed and the plane was ready to take-off. Not many passengers had the stomach to get on that plane again Amjad was among the four or five who finally flew on it. He had to reach Bangalore. Through the flight, he wasn't thinking about his wife or his one month-old son. His only terror was: 'If this plane crashes, Danny gets Gabbar' (the first choice for the role but lost out to date commitments).
Gabbar Singh was not having a good day. It was Amjad's first day of shooting. They were starting with the scene in which he is introduced. His first line was, 'Kitne aadmi the?' All his life had led to this moment. The years of theatre rehearsals, knocking on doors for acting jobs, sweating it out as an assistant -- the Gabbar role had made all that seem worthwhile. His army fatigues, picked up from Mumbai's Chor Bazaar, had the right weathered look. His teeth were blackened. His face was appropriately grimy. He had lived the part for the last few months. But now, when it was time to deliver, he just could not get it right. Gabbar had to mince tambaku (tobacco) as he talked. The motion of one hand grinding against another added to his menace. It was supposed to be his habit. But Amjad could not make it look casual. He would grind the tobacco, speak a few lines, look around awkwardly and then return to grinding. He was nervous and it showed; his hands were stiff, his movements seemed rehearsed, and his dialogue delivery was shaky. There was nothing natural about his performances; Gabbar was a stranger to Amjad.
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AMJAD KHAN: continues....
The morning Amjad was to leave for Bangalore, he put the Quran on his head and prayed. Shaila was surprised. Amjad was a spiritual person but he rarely prayed. As abruptly as he had started, he stopped. He placed the holy book back in its place, said, 'I think I'll be able to do it,' and drove to the airport. The flight didn't reach Bangalore. There was a hydraulic failure, and the pilot was forced to keep circling over Mumbai. After dumping fuel for hours, the plane landed back in Mumbai. Amjad sat at the airport but didn't call home. After five hours, it was announced that the technical faults had been fixed and the plane was ready to take-off. Not many passengers had the stomach to get on that plane again Amjad was among the four or five who finally flew on it. He had to reach Bangalore. Through the flight, he wasn't thinking about his wife or his one month-old son. His only terror was: 'If this plane crashes, Danny gets Gabbar' (the first choice for the role but lost out to date commitments).
Gabbar Singh was not having a good day. It was Amjad's first day of shooting. They were starting with the scene in which he is introduced. His first line was, 'Kitne aadmi the?' All his life had led to this moment. The years of theatre rehearsals, knocking on doors for acting jobs, sweating it out as an assistant -- the Gabbar role had made all that seem worthwhile. His army fatigues, picked up from Mumbai's Chor Bazaar, had the right weathered look. His teeth were blackened. His face was appropriately grimy. He had lived the part for the last few months. But now, when it was time to deliver, he just could not get it right. Gabbar had to mince tambaku (tobacco) as he talked. The motion of one hand grinding against another added to his menace. It was supposed to be his habit. But Amjad could not make it look casual. He would grind the tobacco, speak a few lines, look around awkwardly and then return to grinding. He was nervous and it showed; his hands were stiff, his movements seemed rehearsed, and his dialogue delivery was shaky. There was nothing natural about his performances; Gabbar was a stranger to Amjad.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
AMJAD KHAN: continues.....
Ramesh kept talking to him, trying to help him get his lines right. They struggled for two days. After forty-odd takes, both Ramesh and cameraman Dwarka Divecha decided the actor needed a break. Divecha told Amjad to keep his costume on and just sit on the sets. 'Tu apne aap ko season kar de (Season yourself).' Amjad cried that night. His father was in hospital fighting cancer. His son was only a month old. His family's hopes were pinned on this film. For the rest of the schedule, Amjad lived in the fatigues, trying to become Gabbar. He wrote often to his wife, but never shared with her the extent of his trauma. All he wrote was: 'I'm very impatient... I don't know... I hope I can do it.' Since he didn't drink, he would spend the evenings nursing endless cups of tea. Through the entire schedule, he didn't do a single shot.
In the next schedule, Amjad was more prepared. He got it right in the first few takes. He was living his character, and would stay in costume even when he was not shooting. But some members of the unit, unable to forget his earlier awkwardness, didn't seem to think this was enough. Besides, Amjad was the only new face in a sea of superstars and slowly talk started in the unit that perhaps Ramesh had made a mistake. The murmurs grew, till it became impossible even for Salim and Javed, who had been the most keen to have Amjad as Gabbar, to ignore them. Anxious, perhaps, to not be seen as people responsible for ruining the film, they spoke to Ramesh. 'If you aren't satisfied with Amjad, change him,' they said. For a few days the unit was rocked by rumours that Amjad was getting the boot. But Ramesh finally put his foot down. Only Amjad would play Gabbar.
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AMJAD KHAN: continues.....
Ramesh kept talking to him, trying to help him get his lines right. They struggled for two days. After forty-odd takes, both Ramesh and cameraman Dwarka Divecha decided the actor needed a break. Divecha told Amjad to keep his costume on and just sit on the sets. 'Tu apne aap ko season kar de (Season yourself).' Amjad cried that night. His father was in hospital fighting cancer. His son was only a month old. His family's hopes were pinned on this film. For the rest of the schedule, Amjad lived in the fatigues, trying to become Gabbar. He wrote often to his wife, but never shared with her the extent of his trauma. All he wrote was: 'I'm very impatient... I don't know... I hope I can do it.' Since he didn't drink, he would spend the evenings nursing endless cups of tea. Through the entire schedule, he didn't do a single shot.
In the next schedule, Amjad was more prepared. He got it right in the first few takes. He was living his character, and would stay in costume even when he was not shooting. But some members of the unit, unable to forget his earlier awkwardness, didn't seem to think this was enough. Besides, Amjad was the only new face in a sea of superstars and slowly talk started in the unit that perhaps Ramesh had made a mistake. The murmurs grew, till it became impossible even for Salim and Javed, who had been the most keen to have Amjad as Gabbar, to ignore them. Anxious, perhaps, to not be seen as people responsible for ruining the film, they spoke to Ramesh. 'If you aren't satisfied with Amjad, change him,' they said. For a few days the unit was rocked by rumours that Amjad was getting the boot. But Ramesh finally put his foot down. Only Amjad would play Gabbar.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
AMJAD KHAN: Continues......
Amjad found out about the rumours much later. But the incident sowed the seeds of misunderstanding between him and Salim-Javed. He could not understand why two people, who had ardently recommended him for the role, had then tried to get him thrown out. He saw it as a move to sabotage his career. The hurt stayed with him till his death. Salim-Javed gave birth to the Amjad myth, but they never worked with him again.
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AMJAD KHAN: Continues......
Amjad found out about the rumours much later. But the incident sowed the seeds of misunderstanding between him and Salim-Javed. He could not understand why two people, who had ardently recommended him for the role, had then tried to get him thrown out. He saw it as a move to sabotage his career. The hurt stayed with him till his death. Salim-Javed gave birth to the Amjad myth, but they never worked with him again.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
The 'Sholay' unit had a ten - to fifteen-day schedule in Bangalore every month, from October 1973 to May 1974. Each time they managed to get some work done, but not enough. The delays were further compounded because 70mm required that each shot had to be taken twice. After seven months work, hardly one-third of the film had been shot. 'Sholay' had been planned as a six-month project. Nobody imagined that eventually it would take so long that Macmohan, playing Sambha, one of the smallest roles in the film, would travel twenty-seven times from Mumbai to Bangalore.
Ramesh retained his famous cool. He had a grand vision of 'Sholay' and wasn't going to let delays force him to make compromises. As the budget soared beyond the original one crore, G.P Sippy did make the occasional noise. 'What the hell is going on?' he would ask. But he never pulled the plug. He was a gambler going for the big one. The funds kept flowing.
Yet, despite all the planning, things started to go wrong. The first schedule was ten days long, but very little work got done. Some days they managed to get ten shots right, and on others, none at all. In the November schedule, Ramesh completed only one scene. The No compromise resolve was set in stone. Ramesh and Divecha were like painters trying to perfect their canvas, with G.P. Sippy, a patron of the arts, bankrolling their dreams, budget and timetables took a backseat.
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The 'Sholay' unit had a ten - to fifteen-day schedule in Bangalore every month, from October 1973 to May 1974. Each time they managed to get some work done, but not enough. The delays were further compounded because 70mm required that each shot had to be taken twice. After seven months work, hardly one-third of the film had been shot. 'Sholay' had been planned as a six-month project. Nobody imagined that eventually it would take so long that Macmohan, playing Sambha, one of the smallest roles in the film, would travel twenty-seven times from Mumbai to Bangalore.
Ramesh retained his famous cool. He had a grand vision of 'Sholay' and wasn't going to let delays force him to make compromises. As the budget soared beyond the original one crore, G.P Sippy did make the occasional noise. 'What the hell is going on?' he would ask. But he never pulled the plug. He was a gambler going for the big one. The funds kept flowing.
Yet, despite all the planning, things started to go wrong. The first schedule was ten days long, but very little work got done. Some days they managed to get ten shots right, and on others, none at all. In the November schedule, Ramesh completed only one scene. The No compromise resolve was set in stone. Ramesh and Divecha were like painters trying to perfect their canvas, with G.P. Sippy, a patron of the arts, bankrolling their dreams, budget and timetables took a backseat.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
'Sholay's centerpiece - the massacre sequence in which Gabbar obliterates the Thakur's family - was shot in twenty-three days over three schedules. It was a complicated scene with several parts: establishing the family, Gabbar's arrival, the shootings, and then the Thakur's arrival on the scene after Gabbar and his men have slaughtered his family and retreated. Half the scene had been shot when the weather changed and the bright sun was replaced by an overcast sky. For two days, the unit waited for the sun to reappear. Then Ramesh realized that the dark clouds were a celestial signal: the overcast look was perfect for the scene. It underlined the tragedy and heightened the sense of doom. It also logically led to the point where the wind starts to build up and dry leaves are blown over the dead bodies. He conferred with Divecha. 'It won't just look good,' Divecha said, 'it will look very good. But what will we do if the sun comes out tomorrow?' Ramesh was willing to take he chance. 'Let's shoot,' he said.
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'Sholay's centerpiece - the massacre sequence in which Gabbar obliterates the Thakur's family - was shot in twenty-three days over three schedules. It was a complicated scene with several parts: establishing the family, Gabbar's arrival, the shootings, and then the Thakur's arrival on the scene after Gabbar and his men have slaughtered his family and retreated. Half the scene had been shot when the weather changed and the bright sun was replaced by an overcast sky. For two days, the unit waited for the sun to reappear. Then Ramesh realized that the dark clouds were a celestial signal: the overcast look was perfect for the scene. It underlined the tragedy and heightened the sense of doom. It also logically led to the point where the wind starts to build up and dry leaves are blown over the dead bodies. He conferred with Divecha. 'It won't just look good,' Divecha said, 'it will look very good. But what will we do if the sun comes out tomorrow?' Ramesh was willing to take he chance. 'Let's shoot,' he said.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
They shot furiously for the next two days. And then the sun popped out again. After a week of work, they had two versions of the same half scene, one against a bright sky and the other against an overcast one. But Ramesh was determined. It was going to be clouds or nothing. So they waited for the gods to do the lighting. With the sun playing hide and seek, there were days when they managed to get only one shot and some when they simply stared at the skies. Filming came to a complete halt. To speed up the process, Divecha asked Anwar to make a screen to bounce the light off. The screen had to be bigger than the house. Anwar ended up buying all the white cloth in the vicinity to create a seventy-foot-by- hundred-foot screen. He stitched it himself with strong canvas thread. With the huge screen in place, shooting was resumed, but there were shots for which the effect created by the screen wasn't good enough. The gods had to intervene and bring back the clouds. But it wasn't just the clouds. Nothing seemed to go right. As they neared the end of the sequence, the little boy playing Thakur's grandson, Master Alankar, had exams. He would lose an academic year if he didn't sit for them. Ramesh let him go. Then the propeller, which worked up an appropriate wind to blow dry leaves onto the dead bodies, decided to do its own thing. It wouldn't start when they needed it to. And once started, it would just keep going. Finally, an aeronautics unit near Bangalore built another propeller. It worked perfectly. The wind blew yellow-brown leaves onto the bodies and the white shroud off them, Thakur mounted his horse in a raging fury, ready to look for Gabbar.
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They shot furiously for the next two days. And then the sun popped out again. After a week of work, they had two versions of the same half scene, one against a bright sky and the other against an overcast one. But Ramesh was determined. It was going to be clouds or nothing. So they waited for the gods to do the lighting. With the sun playing hide and seek, there were days when they managed to get only one shot and some when they simply stared at the skies. Filming came to a complete halt. To speed up the process, Divecha asked Anwar to make a screen to bounce the light off. The screen had to be bigger than the house. Anwar ended up buying all the white cloth in the vicinity to create a seventy-foot-by- hundred-foot screen. He stitched it himself with strong canvas thread. With the huge screen in place, shooting was resumed, but there were shots for which the effect created by the screen wasn't good enough. The gods had to intervene and bring back the clouds. But it wasn't just the clouds. Nothing seemed to go right. As they neared the end of the sequence, the little boy playing Thakur's grandson, Master Alankar, had exams. He would lose an academic year if he didn't sit for them. Ramesh let him go. Then the propeller, which worked up an appropriate wind to blow dry leaves onto the dead bodies, decided to do its own thing. It wouldn't start when they needed it to. And once started, it would just keep going. Finally, an aeronautics unit near Bangalore built another propeller. It worked perfectly. The wind blew yellow-brown leaves onto the bodies and the white shroud off them, Thakur mounted his horse in a raging fury, ready to look for Gabbar.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
Almost as time-consuming were the sequences of Radha extinguishing the lamps while Jai played his harmonica and watched. These sequences establish the gradual, wordless bonding between the widow and the thief - the sympathy and admiration slowly turning into love. Capturing the right mood was critical. These were two sequences, only about a minute each in the final film, and it took twenty days to shoot them. Ramesh and Divecha decided to do the scenes in 'magic hour', a cinema term for the time between sunset and night. The light that falls during magic hour is dreamlike in its warm golden hue. The director and cinemtograher wanted specifically the velvety dusk which arrives at the tail end of the golden hue. A shadowy darkness precedes nightfall, but it is still light enough to show the surrounding silhouettes. Essentially, they had only a few minutes to capture the shot. The preparations for the shot would begin after lunch. The lights and the camera set-up would be in place well before time. At around five in the evening they would rehearse the shot and the camera movements.Then between six and six-thirty as the sun started to set, there was total pandemonium. Everyone ran around shouting, trying to get the shot before darkness. sometimes they would get one shot, sometimes two and very rarely with great difficulty, a third re-take. But there was never any time to change the set-up. Ramesh wouldn't settle for anything less than perfection. Invariably there was always some mess-up. The sun set earlier than expected, a light man made a mistake, the trolly movement wasn't right, some object was lying where it shouldn't have been. There were times when Jaya lost her cool: 'Ramesh, no one can see me,' she would say. 'It's a long shot, no viewer on the planet is going to be able to see the mistakes in continuity.' The answer always was: 'No, no, one more take.' Ramesh dressed each frame. The Lady-of-the-lamps shot became a kind of a joke. It took several schedules to get it right.
In fact, in terms of time taken, each sequence seemed to compete with the next. Ahmed, the blind Imam's son (played by Sachin), for instance, took seventeen days to die. It was a long and complicated sequence, and originally it also included the actual act of killing: meat is roasting in the foreground; Gabbar points a red-hot skewer at the boy and with a gleeful look tells his gang, 'Isko to bahut tadpa tadpa ke maroonga.' But this never made it to the final cut. Instead, the scene cuts from Gabbar killing an ant to Ahmed's horse carrying his dead body into the village.
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Almost as time-consuming were the sequences of Radha extinguishing the lamps while Jai played his harmonica and watched. These sequences establish the gradual, wordless bonding between the widow and the thief - the sympathy and admiration slowly turning into love. Capturing the right mood was critical. These were two sequences, only about a minute each in the final film, and it took twenty days to shoot them. Ramesh and Divecha decided to do the scenes in 'magic hour', a cinema term for the time between sunset and night. The light that falls during magic hour is dreamlike in its warm golden hue. The director and cinemtograher wanted specifically the velvety dusk which arrives at the tail end of the golden hue. A shadowy darkness precedes nightfall, but it is still light enough to show the surrounding silhouettes. Essentially, they had only a few minutes to capture the shot. The preparations for the shot would begin after lunch. The lights and the camera set-up would be in place well before time. At around five in the evening they would rehearse the shot and the camera movements.Then between six and six-thirty as the sun started to set, there was total pandemonium. Everyone ran around shouting, trying to get the shot before darkness. sometimes they would get one shot, sometimes two and very rarely with great difficulty, a third re-take. But there was never any time to change the set-up. Ramesh wouldn't settle for anything less than perfection. Invariably there was always some mess-up. The sun set earlier than expected, a light man made a mistake, the trolly movement wasn't right, some object was lying where it shouldn't have been. There were times when Jaya lost her cool: 'Ramesh, no one can see me,' she would say. 'It's a long shot, no viewer on the planet is going to be able to see the mistakes in continuity.' The answer always was: 'No, no, one more take.' Ramesh dressed each frame. The Lady-of-the-lamps shot became a kind of a joke. It took several schedules to get it right.
In fact, in terms of time taken, each sequence seemed to compete with the next. Ahmed, the blind Imam's son (played by Sachin), for instance, took seventeen days to die. It was a long and complicated sequence, and originally it also included the actual act of killing: meat is roasting in the foreground; Gabbar points a red-hot skewer at the boy and with a gleeful look tells his gang, 'Isko to bahut tadpa tadpa ke maroonga.' But this never made it to the final cut. Instead, the scene cuts from Gabbar killing an ant to Ahmed's horse carrying his dead body into the village.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
THE SONG: YEH DOSTI:
The songs were as hard to execute as the scenes. They took several days over many schedules and involved hundreds of dancers, special camera devices, a tanga and even a train. As usual, Ramesh pulled out all stops. 'Yeh Dosti was a twenty-one-day endeavor. The song establishes the friendship between Veeru and Jai. Its easy camaraderie is the foundation of the film. The cheer of the happy version perfectly offsets the dirge-like version at Jai's death. It was decided that a motorcycle with a sidecar would capture the spirit of the male-bonding anthem. But to shoot the entire song from a moving vehicle was static and limiting. So they built a special contraption, which would enable the crew to use different kinds of camera movements. The contraption allowed for varied camera angles. Divecha could start on a tight close-up of one character, pull back, move around to include both and then turn almost 180 degrees to the other side. Shots like these would make the audience feel that they were traveling with Veeru and Jai. But they weren't easy to get. First the bike would be fitted onto the contraption, and then the whole paraphernalia would move along with the camera and tracks and a low trolley moving up and down. Coordinating the elements - reflectors, sun-guns, speakers - needed minute organization and the patience of a priest. There were frequent mechanical faults: the towing hook would come off, or the pulling vehicle would get so heated up that it woudn't start. None of which stopped Ramesh and choreographer P.L Raj from planning even more intricate moves. 'Yeh Dosti', they decided, would end with the sidecar breaking away, doing a short solo run and then coming together with the motorcycle again. It was a neat gimmick. If only they could make it work. The sidecar had to be pulled away from the motorcycle without making the pulling obvious. And then there was the toughest part: the two had to reunite after separating on the fork on the road. They attached the sidecar to the camera on a trolley and rehearsed the shot with Amitabh, who was riding the motorcycle. It all depended on his sense of timing, because he was on a moving vehicle while the camera was on a fixed trolley. Amitabh would have to time it to perfection - start at the right moment, and accelerate or slow down according to the movement of the camera. Amazingly, he brought in the motorcycle for a smooth, perfect docking on the very first take. It was a miracle. The unit broke into a spontaneous applause and even the normally reticent Ramesh jumped off the camera stand and hugged Amitabh.
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THE SONG: YEH DOSTI:
The songs were as hard to execute as the scenes. They took several days over many schedules and involved hundreds of dancers, special camera devices, a tanga and even a train. As usual, Ramesh pulled out all stops. 'Yeh Dosti was a twenty-one-day endeavor. The song establishes the friendship between Veeru and Jai. Its easy camaraderie is the foundation of the film. The cheer of the happy version perfectly offsets the dirge-like version at Jai's death. It was decided that a motorcycle with a sidecar would capture the spirit of the male-bonding anthem. But to shoot the entire song from a moving vehicle was static and limiting. So they built a special contraption, which would enable the crew to use different kinds of camera movements. The contraption allowed for varied camera angles. Divecha could start on a tight close-up of one character, pull back, move around to include both and then turn almost 180 degrees to the other side. Shots like these would make the audience feel that they were traveling with Veeru and Jai. But they weren't easy to get. First the bike would be fitted onto the contraption, and then the whole paraphernalia would move along with the camera and tracks and a low trolley moving up and down. Coordinating the elements - reflectors, sun-guns, speakers - needed minute organization and the patience of a priest. There were frequent mechanical faults: the towing hook would come off, or the pulling vehicle would get so heated up that it woudn't start. None of which stopped Ramesh and choreographer P.L Raj from planning even more intricate moves. 'Yeh Dosti', they decided, would end with the sidecar breaking away, doing a short solo run and then coming together with the motorcycle again. It was a neat gimmick. If only they could make it work. The sidecar had to be pulled away from the motorcycle without making the pulling obvious. And then there was the toughest part: the two had to reunite after separating on the fork on the road. They attached the sidecar to the camera on a trolley and rehearsed the shot with Amitabh, who was riding the motorcycle. It all depended on his sense of timing, because he was on a moving vehicle while the camera was on a fixed trolley. Amitabh would have to time it to perfection - start at the right moment, and accelerate or slow down according to the movement of the camera. Amazingly, he brought in the motorcycle for a smooth, perfect docking on the very first take. It was a miracle. The unit broke into a spontaneous applause and even the normally reticent Ramesh jumped off the camera stand and hugged Amitabh.
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Former Member
Former Member
More later
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Former Member
Happy birthday to you, may you have a blessed one with your children,
Former Member
Sholay 1975
In the climax sequence, Gabbar holds Basanti's arm and menacingly delivers his lines: 'Dekho chhamiya, zyada nakhre mat karo humse, nahin to ye gori chamdi hai na - saare badan se khurach khurach ke utaar doonga.' By now, Amjad had settled in. The insecurities of the early schedules were replaced by confidence and he wore Gabbar's persona like a second skin. In the heat of the performance, Amjad gripped Hema's arm a little too tightly. It hurt. But the shot was canned and the crew moved on to the next one.
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In the climax sequence, Gabbar holds Basanti's arm and menacingly delivers his lines: 'Dekho chhamiya, zyada nakhre mat karo humse, nahin to ye gori chamdi hai na - saare badan se khurach khurach ke utaar doonga.' By now, Amjad had settled in. The insecurities of the early schedules were replaced by confidence and he wore Gabbar's persona like a second skin. In the heat of the performance, Amjad gripped Hema's arm a little too tightly. It hurt. But the shot was canned and the crew moved on to the next one.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
By the evening, Hema's arm was sore and the bruises showed. At the dinner table, Dharmendra could barely control his anger. Dharmendra, or paaji, as everone called him, was in love with Hema Malini. Hema, professional to the core, gave little trouble. But Dharmendra wore his heart on his sleeve. When he and hema shot romantic sequences, he paid the light boys to make mistakes so he could embrace her again and again. Dharmendra and the light boys had a perfectly worked-out code language: when he pulled his ear, they would make a mistake - mess up the trolly movement or make a reflector fall - but when he touched his nose, they okayed the shot. The fee was Rs 100 per retake. On a good day, the light boys returned from the day's shooting richer by Rs 2,000.
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By the evening, Hema's arm was sore and the bruises showed. At the dinner table, Dharmendra could barely control his anger. Dharmendra, or paaji, as everone called him, was in love with Hema Malini. Hema, professional to the core, gave little trouble. But Dharmendra wore his heart on his sleeve. When he and hema shot romantic sequences, he paid the light boys to make mistakes so he could embrace her again and again. Dharmendra and the light boys had a perfectly worked-out code language: when he pulled his ear, they would make a mistake - mess up the trolly movement or make a reflector fall - but when he touched his nose, they okayed the shot. The fee was Rs 100 per retake. On a good day, the light boys returned from the day's shooting richer by Rs 2,000.
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Former Member
Sholay 1975
When he (Dharam) and hema shot romantic sequences, he paid the light boys to make mistakes so he could embrace her again and again. Dharmendra and the light boys had a perfectly worked-out code language: when he pulled his ear, they would make a mistake - mess up the trolly movement or make a reflector fall - but when he touched his nose, they okayed the shot. The fee was Rs 100 per retake. On a good day, the light boys returned from the day's shooting richer by Rs 2,000.
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When he (Dharam) and hema shot romantic sequences, he paid the light boys to make mistakes so he could embrace her again and again. Dharmendra and the light boys had a perfectly worked-out code language: when he pulled his ear, they would make a mistake - mess up the trolly movement or make a reflector fall - but when he touched his nose, they okayed the shot. The fee was Rs 100 per retake. On a good day, the light boys returned from the day's shooting richer by Rs 2,000.
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Former Member
Dharam had really loved Hema:
Former Member
quote:The fee was Rs 100 per retake. On a good day, the light boys returned from the day's shooting richer by Rs 2,000.
Dharam love for Hema was like Romeo & Juliet, Shireen and Farhad, Laila Majnu, one day we will really get into thick of this Love Story, will be for great reading.
Dharam:
"Hema is a brave woman and also the prettiest one. She can give much more than I ever can. What I feel for her is beyond love ...meri mohabbat akeedat (faith) ho gayee hai. Any moment that we share together is beautiful; I wish to have more and more moments with her,"Â he confesses.
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Former Member
What a memorable role: Gabbar Singh:
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Former Member
DID HE LOVED HEMA SO MUCH THAT HE DRANK HIMSELF TO DEATH?
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Former Member
ONCE THE ANGRY YOUNGMAN, NOW THE JOLLY OLE FELLA:
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Former Member
LOOKING BACK AT HIS PERFORMANCE IN SHOLAY: BRING A TEAR OR TWO TO HIS EYES:
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Former Member
MEMORIES
Former Member
"YOU WILL EITHER DANCE, OR WE PUT TWO BULLETS THROUGH HIS EYES, WHAT WILL IT BE?"
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